Shadow of the Night
by FallenRose24
Summary: Set after Birthmark. As Robin searches for Slade and his reason for hunting Raven, the empath's secrets become the force capable of tearing apart the Titans. With Red X on the loose and the day of Prophecy nearing, Raven finds herself cornered by fate.
1. Chapter 1

The crescent moon showered the city in a faint ghostly glow of white light. All was silent and it seemed as if life in the city had ceased to exist. The usually jubilant city was asleep, preparing itself for the next busy day of light that waited, all except for a few who resided in the most prominent building of all: Titans Tower.

A single dim light penetrated one of the large windows that created the monstrous T. All was quiet as Richard Grayson sat idly in front of a series of computers. The empty streets of the city stared back from each computer screen as he simply waited, waited for an answer. With a heavy sigh, the boy ran a hand through his jagged black hair.

"This is hopeless. What do I think I'm doing? I've been sitting here for hours trying to solve the only mystery I've never been able to crack. Who would've thought trying to learn the secrets of a girl who knows more about you than anyone would be so damn difficult? Then again, this is Raven we're talking about. I don't even know if that's her real name!" A green gloved fist slammed down onto the keyboard. "Not like I've been faithful to my own name."

Richard stood from his seat and walked slowly toward the window, gazing at the black ocean below. His mask was furrowed in deep thought. Gloved hands reached up and removed the black and white shield from his face, revealing eyes of blue that dazzled in the pale light of the moon.

"How many identities am I going to have?" He spoke to no one has he touched the pale skin that lay where the mask had been. "Richard, Dick, Robin, and if Starfire's right, maybe even Nightwing? Lord, who am I?"

"You are who you make yourself to be, Robin," a soft voice echoed through the room.

Robin quickly shielded his eyes with the mask once more before turning around, his hidden eyes meeting sapphire orbs of mystery. "Raven," he breathed. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

A slight smile formed on her face as she quietly apologized for startling him. Robin waved his hand to dismiss her remorse as he walked back to his chair to face the screens of the empty city. Raven approached him cautiously, her eyes focused on the computers while her hood shadowed all sign of expression from her face.

"What are you looking for so late at night?"

Robin sighed, realizing it was pointless to keep anything from her. She would simply read his mind if he wouldn't tell, so what was the point of trying to make up an excuse?

"I'm searching for Slade."

The empath shuttered at the sounded of that name and yet her eyes held the essence of curiosity. She placed a pale hand on the top of Robin's chair as she looked at his face for answers.

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking, Rae, but it's not that. I'm just worried about you."

Raven's eyes widened at this new revelation, but before she could speak her utter confusion, Robin explained himself.

"He chased you, tore apart your uniform, and dropped you off a 20 story building. He's an insane freak and I won't stop until I know we've stopped him, even if it means losing a few nights of sleep just watching the city." Robin let out a small laugh as he lowered his head. "I'm actually glad I convinced the mayor to keep up the camera system I designed last time Slade was here. I almost had him dismantle the program, give the city a bit more privacy, but-"

"Your hunch that Slade was still around stopped you from ever requesting the destruction of such a key program."

Robin paused for a few moments and then relaxed, finding himself in a fit of laughter. "Good God, Raven, you really do know everything about me!"

The cloaked girl removed the hood from her head, revealing her amethyst hair that shined in the glow of the night. "I have been inside your mind, Robin, I know all that you were willing to share and in return, you were given the chance to see into my mind as well."

The boy lowered his head. She was right; he had seen a part of her that she kept locked away, the side of her that thrived on her home planet. He had been privileged enough to see Azarath through her eyes, to see her beautiful mother, but that was all he saw before darkness covered the memories. Suddenly his thoughts vanished as a soft voice filled his mind.

"You should rest. There is no need for you to remain awake and simply stare at the empty street."

"But Raven-"

"I think you'll agree with me when I say you'll be more help to the team if you're fully rested, Robin. There's no point in wasting yourself in front of these screens only to end up tired the next day when an enemy attacks."

Robin sighed, standing from his seat. "True, but I have to find him. I might not be able to catch you next time! What happens if he-"

Raven silenced his lips with her finger. Her sapphire eyes bored holes into his mask as he stared down at her. He could see her worry, her fear, and yet buried behind it all, he found appreciation. His eyes softened as he continued to search hers.

"I know you're only trying to protect me, but why are you being so persistent? Why do you care so much…Richard?" Raven asked quietly as she removed her finger from his lips.

Robin froze, his mind repeating Raven's voice as she called him by his true name. No one had ever spoken to him as anything other than the mask he wore. He felt his iced determination melt beneath her gaze and soft voice though he tried to fight it and keep his feelings locked away. This dark power she had over him slowly penetrated his mind.

"You mean a lot to me, Raven, you're my friend. You're the only one here who understands me, who knows what I go through. You've been inside my mind; we have a bond. Besides, you mean the world to Starfire, and I'm sure the others feel as strongly about you as she does. I promised myself that I would protect everyone, and I plan to keep that promise. Star would never forgive me if I let anything happen to you."

Raven smiled. His feelings for Starfire truly did run deep. She always knew the two were destined to be, Starfire was the light that could save him from his darkness. With a heavy sigh, Raven pulled her hood back over her head and placed a pale hand on Robin's broad shoulder.

"Go to sleep, Robin, I'll watch the city for you."

"Are you sure?"

The dark girl merely nodded her head and watched Robin walk out of the room. When she was sure he had left, Raven turned her face toward the moon. Its pale light failed to comfort her. She sighed once more before walking back to the abandoned seat Robin had been in. Gazing at the screens of nothing, she slowly closed her eyes.

"He's keeping himself awake to find the answer to something I already know. If I wasn't cursed with this damn fate then I would gladly tell them the truth!" a single silver tear cascaded down her grey skin. She quickly swept it away with a brush of her fingers. Darkness overtook her as she feel into a silent sleep, unaware of what was around her.

Robin shook his head, moving away from the door he had rested his back against. He placed his hand on the wall, letting Raven's words fill his thoughts. Before he walked away, the darkened hallway echoed in his whispered words.

"I knew she was hiding something from me…"


	2. Chapter 2

Light slowly crept into a room full of crumpled clothing. The floor was barely visible, hidden by miscellaneous items of the owner. A bunk bed lay in the corner of the mess; sheets sprawled over the sleeping figure whose legs lingered over the side. Perhaps it would have been safer for him to sleep on the bottom bunk, but the boy refused to "lower" himself to such a level.

With a sudden "thump", Garfield Logan fell to the floor. He shook his head lazily, transforming into a small green cat as he stretched his muscles and greeted the day. The animal trotted out happily into the hallway as he made his way to the main room, hungry for a classic tofu breakfast.

As the main door opened, he retained his human form, gazing out to see if any of the other Titans had beaten him in his morning contest of waking up first. His eyes saw nothing but empty space until he noticed the door to the security room was left slightly ajar.

"What the- that's not suppose to be open," the changeling thought as he journeyed over to the suspicious room. His mind filled itself with thoughts of a burglar hidden behind the door and he watched his dream self single handedly defeat the villain, gaining praise from his teammates for his "striking intellect" and "amazing strength".

The boy smiled a toothy grin as he burst threw the door screaming, "Get your hands up! You're surrounded!"

A few seconds passed before he realized that his imagination had taken the best of him. The only threat in the room was a sleeping Raven, whom he had learned to refrain from disturbing when she managed to close her eyes in peace. Beast Boy quickly smacked a hand over his mouth and he crawled over to his sleeping friend, gazing at her softened face.

"She looks almost happy when she's asleep, but what's she doin' in front of Robin's Slade Spy Cams?" the green boy thought aloud.

Raven stirred slightly, letting out a moan from her tired lips as her eyes began to open. Sapphire met emerald and for a brief moment, the two Titans simply stared into each other's souls, content to lose themselves in the silence of their company.

The empath blinked, her expression changing drastically to one of suspicion, and moved to raise herself from the chair she had fallen asleep in. Beast Boy let her get up, never taking his eyes off her as her blue orbs moved from his view. He gave her a curious look before opening his mouth to speak.

"Watcha doin' here, Rae? It's not like you to hang out in Robin's supped up security room."

Raven simply stared at him, putting her hood over her head, giving him nothing but silence as she walked passed him and toward the door. Before she managed to step into the main room, the sound of the childish boy behind her caught her ears.

"Or were you and him having a bit of fun in here?"

Shock and disgust mingled together within the dark girl as she spun around, eyes glowing white, and dark energy swirling in her hands. "Shut-up!" she shouted as she used her powers to throw him behind her and into the room he had started in.

Beast Boy picked himself up off the ground, brushing away the dirt that cluttered his uniform. He sighed, giving her an annoyed glare, as he watched Raven make her way into the kitchen, placing a kettle of water on the stove.

"I was just kidding, Rae! Geez! But seriously, how come you weren't in your room? I thought you hated falling asleep anywhere else."

Raven turned her head to the side, allowing her to view him with the corner of her eye. She let a small sigh escape her lips before turning back to the boiling water that awaited her favored tea bags.

"If you must know, Robin was staying up to look for Slade. I came in, told him to go to bed, assuring him I would take over the watch, and I accidentally fell asleep. That's it. Nothing more. So don't go reading into it and snooping around my stuff, got it?"

Her words cut Beast Boy like shards of ice. He slowly hung his head, disappointed in himself for having upset her twice since day had begun not more than an hour ago. The boy's sudden feeling of sorrow must have alerted the girl before him, fore he noticed that her shoulders slumped and she began to face him.

"I'm sorry, Beast Boy. I didn't mean to say it like that. I just-"

Before the cloaked figure could utter anymore, Cyborg burst through the door, arms outstretched to greet the sunlight of the new day. His eyes met with Raven and Beast Boy, causing a large smile to cross his face.

"Mornin' y'all! And how are my two favorite love birds doin' this early in the morning?"

Raven's face flushed a deep shade of pink as she mentally thanked herself for having put her hood up earlier. She quickly glanced over at Beast Boy, seeing his expression was painted in shock, but hidden in his eyes, she found desire. She blinked a few times, finding herself in disbelief at the emotion she discovered in his emerald orbs, but before she could fully comprehend what was going on, a gloved hand brought her closer to him.

"Back off, Cy, she's mine!" Beast Boy retorted with laughter as he drew Raven into his arms.

The young girl froze, but soon managed to release his hold on her. She quickly drew up her hand, bringing it into collision with his unsuspecting cheek. The cybernetic giant simply shook his head at the scene before him, releasing a hefty laugh as he made his way to the fridge.

"You two are impossible."

"You can say that again," a familiar voice called from the coach.

All three Titans turned their heads to find Robin's jagged hair poking out from the top of their favorite lounging area. He paused for a few moments before standing to see their expressions, his own consisting of a goofy smile.

"Dude! How long have you been there?" Beast Boy shouted in utter disbelief.

"Don't worry, you didn't lose today," the black haired leader chuckled. "I got here a few minutes before Raven sent you flying from the security room. Gotta say, Beast Boy, that wasn't one of your brightest ideas."

Robin made his way over to his friends, stopping short as he heard the sound of the automatic doors. A sudden rush of pink and purple flashed before him as he felt his body collide with something soft. He looked down to find a jubilant Starfire clutching onto him.

"Glorious morning, Robin!"

The leader smiled, embracing her tightly before letting her go. "'Morning to you too, Star."

The happy alien quickly flew to the other Titans, greeting them individually with the same cheerful nature. Robin shook his head, very much amused with the scene before him. His eyes lingered on the group of friends until they settled on a dark blue shadow. Raven.

His mask furrowed in thought as he looked down, her last words of the night replaying in his mind, the words he was not suppose to hear her utter to the darkness. He glanced back at her, seeing Raven's deep eyes staring back at him with the same intensity.

Slowly, Robin made his way into the crowded kitchen, doing his best to avoid the breakfast war that had broken out between Beast Boy and Cyborg. He reached the counter where Raven stood, idly making her tea, and he simply watched her.

"What do you need, Robin?"

He leaned over her, reaching for a plate as he whispered into her ear.

"We need to talk."


	3. Chapter 3

The endless beeping of computers caught the attention of Victor Stone as he watched his fellow teammates file into the security room. His curiosity thickened as his eyes fell upon a cloaked figure who seemed slightly out of character as she still remained hidden by the shadow of her hood.

Dismissing his thoughts, Cyborg turned in the direction of his leader, awaiting an explanation for the sudden meeting. All was quiet as the Titans kept themselves occupied with the multiple views of their city playing overhead.

"You're probably all wondering why I ask you here so suddenly," a voice sounded from Robin's bowed head as his chin rested against his hands. His elbows dug into his thighs as his brow furrowed in heavy concentration, uncertainty and worry written carelessly over his masked face.

Silence consumed them once more, but after a few moments, Beast Boy swallowed nervously, readying his voice to speak. "So, uh, what's the deal? Cyborg and I were in the middle of a-"

"This is more important than some silly little game!"

Raven's blue eyes grew wide in shock at Robin's sudden outburst. She watched as he slammed a gloved hand against the table beside him, his mask narrowing into two fine slits, white teeth bared in utter agitation.

"Yo, Man, chill!"

"Please, friends, let us not shout the angry words at one another. We should remain calm and-"

Beast Boy let out a slight "hmph" before crossing his arms across his chest. "I would if Robin would quit acting like a jerk! Dude, if this is so important, then say something!"

Fits of yelling erupted amongst the team as Beast Boy and Robin allowed their stubborn attitudes to over take them. Cyborg and Starfire, try as they may, did nothing to calm them, and only managed to add to the level of noise in the room.

Every pitch of each voice echoed in Raven's mind as she closed her eyes, desperately trying to block it all out. Suddenly something snapped. Dark energy shot from her chakra stone, destroying the lights on the ceiling, her eyes blood red as she shouted above them all in an attempt to silence the children before her.

"Enough!"

The Titans fell into stillness as the watch Raven's blood red orbs slowly fade into sapphire and become swallowed by the over powering darkness that consumed the lightless room. An eternity seemed to pass before any Titan summed up enough courage to even blink in the presence of the aggravated empath.

Cyborg was the first to move, activating the small lamp that rose from his shoulder. The beam of white light flashed brightly into Raven's eyes before spreading throughout the room and slightly dimming. The dark girl shielded her face from the overwhelming radiance that seemingly contradicted her in ever way.

"Heh, looks like we got ourselves a light problem," the cybernetic man laughed, eyeing Raven carefully. "Don't worry about a thing, Raven, I'll get it all fixed up in no time. It's no trouble at all."

Robin let out a heavy sigh. This meeting was seemingly useless. Nothing was going as planned. The lights being out only served as a new distraction and the back haired boy wasn't about to allow such an insignificant change in the room disrupt his purpose. Clearing his throat rather loudly, the leader gained the attention of all those around him.

"We'll fix the lights later. Right now we have a few things to go over."

Starfire's bright eyes filled with confusion as she watched Robin turn his chair to face the screens once more. She walked towards him, an arm outstretched, feeling her way over to the top of his chair before stopping.

"But Robin, would it not be easier to conduct a meeting with the light form the ceiling?"

"Yeah, I'm mean it's pretty dar-"

"No," Robin stated firmly before Beast Boy had the chance to finish. "It's easier to see the computer screens without the lights anyway, so there's no point in fixing them now when we would just be turning them off."

The masked boy sighed, sorting the thoughts in his mind before speaking once again. "As you all know, I've been keeping an eye out for Slade ever since he returned earlier this week. Well, things haven't gone as easily as I had hoped. I haven't found a single trace of him! That's where you guys come in. I need your ide-"

"Man, if you can't find 'im, how are we suppose to? You know everything there is to know about this guy!"

"He's different, Cyborg, he's not the same Slade as before. Look, all I want are ideas."

Each Titan lowered their head as they lost their minds to thought, searching endlessly for an probably location their old foe could hide. Robin typed in a few commands on the keyboard before him, watching as each screen filled with a different image of Slade's previous hideout, or rather what remained of it, hoping in vain that their fire shooting enemy would rise from the ashes once more.

"Yo! What if he's in the same place he got those crazy new powers from? Hey Raven, know any heavy duty magic shops?"

Cyborg only succeeded in earning himself a deathly glare, but Robin, on the other hand, took the half-machine's words into consideration as he tapped his index finger idly against his chin as if it would somehow allow him to think better.

"Slade was never a guy for magic. He used more of a scientific approach if anything. It just seems odd that he would, all of a sudden, go out and learn this new fire technique. It's not like him," the young leader thought aloud.

"Perhaps it is not Slade who decided to learn such spells. What if he is working for this master of fire?"

"Not likely, Star," Robin stated plainly. "If he's capable of surviving the immense heat of falling into a pit of lava, then I doubt he's in any need of a partnership."

"But what if he did not survive?" Starfire's eyes searched each of her companions'. Finding only curiosity in each gleaming orb, she pressed onward with her new found idea. "On my planet, there is a legend. After Glortex, the great enemy of Tamaran, was defeated, he was sentenced to death on our sun and was sent on a space craft to his very painful death. They say that two years after this occurred, Glortex returned to Tamaran with a great new power. He attacked the people and unleashed what is called the Blotnus Gorbus. It caused half of Tamaran to burn down. To stop Glortex, the Grand Ruler of Tamaran took up a knife and stabbed the evil man in his black heart. Glortex only laughed saying that he had sold his soul to the Zicma and could never die again. In the end, the Zicma betrayed Glortex, and the traitor was banished to what you know as the fiery afterlife."

Silence, once more, consumed the Titans as Starfire's strange myth echoed against the walls. All but Raven seemed to be lost in thought. Even Beast Boy had managed to remain serious as he put his mind to use, trying desperately to decipher the puzzle that had poured from the alien's lips.

"So you're sayin' you think Slade sold his soul to the Debil, got fire shootin' power in return, and then came back to Earth to stalk Raven?"

Sapphire eyes locked onto the metal man as his sudden outburst called out her name. An unfamiliar pain plagued the blue shadow with a sharp quickness. Her frail body shook as she clutched her right hand to her chest, stumbling backward. Raven inhaled deeply, steadying herself, thankful for having been cast in shadow and gone unnoticed.

"That seems a bit off the all, but then again, if Slade did die, then I'm sure he'd do anything to come back and realize his sick dream of world domination, even if it did mean losing his soul. Now that I think about it, there could be some truth to Star's idea. I mean, I broke his neck in four places and yet, he was able to easily snap everything back into place. That fact alone is enough to make me think he-"

"He's a zombie!"

Robin laughed slightly, shaking his head at his green companion. "Maybe, but that still doesn't tell us where he could be hiding."

"Dude! What if Slade isn't even in the city! He could be like Brother Blood and have this really cool, high-tech, top secret, underwater hideout!"

"Don't be an idiot!" Raven snapped. "If Slade really is a wielder of true fire, then he should know that water is the only element capable of fully extinguishing him. Why would he want to hide in some place where, if he was ever found, he would be at a total disadvantage?"

"Geez! It was just an idea."

Raven's anger diminished, her eyes softening as she gazed into his emerald pools. "Well, you could be right about one thing. What if Slade really isn't in the city? What better way is there to keep out of sight than to move to a place where we don't have surveillance cameras? He knows we can watch his every move in Jump City."

"That's true, but there are millions of cities to choose from. Which one would he pick?" Robin called out in desperation.

"The one place he knows that this team wouldn't even think of going to."

The black haired boy's face filled with an internal pain as he took a deep breath, exhaling a word that sent shivers down his spine: "Gotham."

Before any Titan could allow the thought to fully sink in, a familiar alarm sounded to the rhythm of flashing red lights that blanketed the tower in words of trouble.


	4. Chapter 4

The night sky consumed a black figure as it jumped from rooftop to rooftop, searching for something unknown. Music of wind filled the ears of sleeping citizens who slept in ignorance. The stars glimmered in unheard warning as the blood-red interior of the shadow's black cape disappeared unbeknownst behind the walls of an unsuspecting building. Jump City Bank.

Thomas Roberts, Jump City's prestigious bank owner, stepped slowly toward the bank vault, looking into each dark corridor for any suspicious silhouettes. Finding none, he double checked the lock on the city vault before turning to return home after a stressful day of business. As he neared the door, a sudden breeze blew over the bank owner. His heart leapt in his chest, his breath quickened, but it was too late. A single grey hand crashed down into the back of his neck and all was black.

"Too easy," laughed the night prowler. "I need a challenge. It seems so unfair to steal all of the money when there's no one around to stop me."

The shadow walked to the bank vault, a red light glowing in his hand, and in one swift motion, the blood red energy brought the door to a simple pile of ash. A short chuckle of amusement sung from his lips as he reached into his belt for a small coin. Looking down toward the lasers that danced upon the vault floor, the strange man launched his simple coin into the blinding red light, relishing in the sound of the security alarm alerting a well known pack of heroes.

"And now, the fun begins."

A pair of familiar headlights flashed brightly before diminishing as the sound of the engine died down. Each door opened and out stepped five faces of justice, determination heavy in their eyes. The calming silence was not to last as Beast Boy's need for attention burst out of control.

"So what big, bad, criminal's butt are we about to go kick?"

Cyborg sighed. "Don't know. The report just said the alarm was triggered. Let's just hope it's not the same villain we faced last time the reports didn't know who was attackin'."

Raven and Robin both stiffened at the mention of their last attacker. As the two dark teammates shared a knowing glance, the Teen Titans ventured toward the bank's entryway. Robin placed a gloved hand on the knob before calling out to his friends.

"Well, there's only one way to find out!" And with that, he threw open the door.

Empty. Aside from the unconscious bank owner, there was no one in view. Robin's eyes filled with suspicion as searched frantically with his head for any signs of the villain. There was none, only an eerie red goop the lined the broken vault. He let out an audible sigh, turning his head slightly to clearly send his voice to his fellow Titans.

"Titans, split u-"

"There's no need for that, kid. I'm right here."

The young leader spun to face the voice that called for him. His hidden orbs grew wide in shock as he stared into the unforgettable white skull that marked his opponents face. Robin opened his mouth to speak, puffs of air being the only sounds audible at first, as he watched the dark figure walk gracefully from the vault, a large bag of money in hand.

"Red X!"

"It's been awhile, hasn't it, Robin? Tell me though, why the shocked face?"

The boy's masked eyes narrowed in anger, his mind racing through thought after thought, making no sense to him at all. "But how? How can you power the suit without the Zynothium belt? That's impos-"

"Nothing's impossible, kid, isn't that what you're always saying? Come on, give me a little credit. If I was good enough to steal the suit from you, then you should already know I'm good enough to find a new way to power it," Red X sneered as he looked at each Titan carefully before locking onto Raven who had taken to levitating a few feet in the air

The white skull pierced her blue eyes, bringing her inexplicable fear. Raven mentally cursed herself for suddenly feeling such childish emotion, but all grew worse as the villain spoke once more.

"Though, I guess I don't deserve all the credit. I had a bit of help from an old friend of yours."

Each young fighter froze. Disbelief washed itself over their faces as the words of Red X resounded in their heads. Any further mentioning of their "friend" was unneeded, each knew exactly who this criminal had been referring to and it frightened them with unexplainable power.

The Teen Titans were suddenly thrust from their moment of thought as flashes of red flew their way. Beast Boy merged into a cheetah, dodging each X that flew his way. Cyborg followed the green animal's lead, his Sonic Canon firing rapidly toward their attacker while Starfire and Raven took to aerial attacks. Robin extended his Bo Staff, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

Red X merely laughed at the futile attempts to stop his rein of supremacy. He threw himself into the air, dodging the combined rays of sound of green fire as he flipped backwards, landing on the top the main counter. Starfire's eyes ignited the color green as she moved in, determind to bring the callous villain to his knees.

"Hey there, Beautiful," Red X snickered as he lifted both hands. "Catch"

A massic X of reddish slim flew toward the alien and, try as she might, her starbolts were useless to stop it. A high pitched shriek flew from her lips, alerting Raven far too late. The dark empath turned only to see a flash of pink as she was thrown back by the weight of their collision, the red goo trapping the two to the ground.

Cyborg raced toward him, his right arm extended as he took aim at the man's skulled mask. The clank of his bulky body gave away his fast approach, giving the criminal ample time to devise a solution to stop the robot in his tracks. Red X let out a small laugh as he turned to face his new opponent.

"Uh uh uh," the vile man huffed as he shook his head. He raised the bag of money in the cybernetic fighter's line of fire. "You wouldn't want to destroy all this money, now would you?"

The Titan lowered his arm, mentally kicking himself for having foolishly rushed in. Robin's eyes sprung widely open. This was his chance. He leapt into the air, letting out a loud battle cry as he brought his staff into contact with Red X's left hand, causing the satchel of cash to fall from his grasp.

Recovering quickly, the black fighter blocked a blow from Robin's metal boot. A war broke out between the two. Fists flew, capes were torn, and the clash of sliver and red filled the room as they used weapons to their advantage. The fighters were soon locked in a brawl of strength, Robin's staff trapped between his rival's red X hand razors, keeping both weapons locked in place.

"Not bad, kid, you've improved."

The Titan leader smirked. "You're not too bad yourself."

"So, curious as to how I got this suit of yours to work again, or would you rather have your buddy tell you himself?"

Robin's rage burst from inside his mind, consuming him. He pushed harder against X's razorblade defense, desperately trying to bring down his opponent for the mockery he had been thrown. Lost in his fit of anger, the young fighter faltered when the white skull before him appeared to take a new shape. For a split second, Robin found himself face to face with a vision of Slade.

Red X lifted his right leg, a red light flaring from the bottom of his boot, and smashed it into the pit of Robin's stomach, laughing at the boy's foolish move of lowering his guard. The young boy was thrown several feet back until he fell from the counter, hitting his head roughly against the metal floor. His vision faded from dark to light as he struggled to get up, the image of Red X's shadow taunting him as it drew near.

He drew in a staggered breath, feeling his body go numb. "S-Slade…"


	5. Chapter 5

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

Raven burst free from red liquid that had held her and Starfire to the cold ground. Her eyes glowed dangerously white as she stared into the mask of Red X. Before rushing into an attack, the empath lowered Starfire, who had been knocked unconscious during their collision, to the ground. Baring her teeth, the cloaked wonder disappeared in the shape of a black raven.

"BB! That's our cue! Let's move!"

The changeling nodded as he morphed into his notorious raptor form, charging full speed at the suspecting criminal. Cyborg followed behind, sonic cannon fully charged. Red X leapt from the counter, throwing red razor Xs at the approaching Titans. The robot easily destroyed the speeding weaponry, allowing Beast Boy to use his long tail to whip their enemy into a near by wall.

The shadow fell painfully to the floor, his back submerged in pain from the impact. He shook his head to straighten his vision only to find himself face-to-face with the luminous eyes of an angry demon. Fear ripped through the white skull of his mask, penetrating his very soul as he watched the girls blue cloak unfurl a sea of darkness around him.

Swallowing his fear, Red X jumped from his cornered position, throwing a punch at the dark sorceress. Raven easily deflected the attack with a mere black shield of energy which served to block his counter kick as well. Frustrated with his failed attempts, the thief crouched down, unleashing a low spin kick.

The dark girl let a small yelp escape her lips as she found herself crashing to the ground. Her face was contorted in anger, her mind belittling her poor lower body defense. Before she had a chance to recover, a flash of silver caught her eye, a fast wind passing be her head. Her opponent had her pinned to the ground, his grey boots at either side of her stomach, Robin's bo staff pressed to her neck.

"H-How did you-"

"You spend too much time in self pity. Grabbing his weapon from the floor was easy with you so distracted, kid."

"Yo, X Boy!"

The masked fighter grunted as a blue ray of light forced his body into a wall of cabinets. Raven's sapphire eyes were filled with surprise as the man was blasted away from her. A gloved hand reached out, a toothy grin gleaming down at her sullen face, and with a sigh, Raven accepted the help.

Beast Boy lifted the fallen girl from the ground, letting his emerald eyes gaze into hers as he held her hand long after she was on her feet. A wave of heat flooded Raven's face as she averted her eyes, quickly withdrawing her hand as if she had been burned. Feeling her teammate's emotional aura fall, she thanked him in a whisper before flying over to Red X.

She remained a few feet above the ground as she stared at the frightening mask that adorned the seemingly unconscious mind below her. As Raven turned to her fellow Titans, her blue cape flapping behind her, she felt a sudden pull. The weight of the world around her suddenly became heavy and she plummeted toward the ground, her head smacking painfully into titled floor.

Blue eyes shattered in a fiery coffin, a scream flying from her lips, as the impact consumed her body. Voices shouting her name was all that filled her mind as she closed her orbs tightly, trying to suppress the pain as the stinging emotion threatened to overcome her. A sudden aura of panic blanketed her body as she became aware of the cries in the form of familiar pitches.

Raven shot upward, catching the rim of the counter in an attempt to stop the motion of her flying form. She turned her head in the direction of the noise only to see her two conscious friends trapped in a strange cage-like red containment field. Red X stood nearby, a laugh causing his black shoulders to shake slightly.

"No," the lonely girl breathed.

"It's just you and me now, kid. I hope you don't mind," the criminal called as he walked toward her. An unseen smiled formed on his hidden face as he watched her eyes bend in anger. "You're not getting too upset, are you? You might want to watch those emotions before you hurt someone."

"Shut-up!" Raven screamed, a black hand from the ground launching itself toward the mocking enemy. Her teeth ground into each other as her aggravation began to rise.

Cyborg and Beast Boy watched in horror as object all around them became consumed in black energy before exploding. The duo shot their teammate a pleading look, begging her to stop, as they watched her hands ignite in a dark flame.

"Yes, that's it. Get angry," Red X's voice echoed through every wall.

"Dude, Raven! Chill! You gotta calm down before you kill one of us!"

The green boy's words cut through her clouded mind, awakening the sleeping calmness within her. The blackness faded from her palms as her dark orbs faded to blank She stood there, frozen in a state of helplessness, shot from the chaos she had unleashed.

Red X took this as his golden opportunity. He raised himself from the floor once more and began an armed charge at the broken girl half a room away. The patter of his incoming footsteps alerted Beast Boy, his eyes widening in fear. The young boy shot a glance at Cyborg who simply nodded in approval. With no words spoken between them, the half man kneeled down, unleashing a fiery blast with his cannon, opening a tiny hole in the red prison. The changeling morphed into a small butterfly, managing to just make it through the breach before it closed.

Back in his human form, he took off at full speed toward Raven in a race against the thief several feet behind him. His voice cried out her name as he jumped toward her, his spine arching back painfully as it was struck by a flying weapon from behind. His form was racked with red electricity as he fell to the ground, knocking Raven back into consciousness as their bodies hit the floor.

Her breath quickened as she gazed at the burned back of her fallen friend, fear trapping the air in her lungs. She gasped as his body slowly rose, shaking arms failing to fully support his tattered body. Wounded eyes pierced the girl's soul as they searched her for an answer to an unspoken question.

"H-Hey," the boy coughed as a weak smile formed across his parched lips. "Y-You…okay?" A grunt followed the words, and before she could answer, his head fell into her chest, his body limp.

"Beast Boy!" Raven cried out in desperation.

"What a pity. You know, if you hadn't been so careless, he wouldn't have been hurt."

The dark girl slowly pushed her fallen protector aside, careful not to injure him any further. She lifted herself, her body shaking in fear, causing her to fall to her knees. Guilt wrapped itself around her as Red X circled her, whisper hushed words of blame.

"What's the matter? Afraid of what you've done? Scared that he might die because of you? Or is it that you just got lost, running too far away from the future?" the shadow's voice took a darkened tone, it's haunting depths filling Raven's mind with images of Slade, as he whispered into her ear. "You can't run away from what's inside you. It's already begun."

"No!" the empath screamed, her eyes filling with red, slowly splitting in two. The black flame returned to her palms, winding its way around her entire form, bursting throughout the room. Cyborg let out a loud shout as beams from the ceiling crashed onto his trapped form, bringing his circuits to a pause, his light blue glow fading to grey.

Red X laughed as he jumped to the top of the melted vault. He began to fly toward the ceiling before phasing away. Raven's head jerked in his direction, an angry howl escaping from her voice as she following in pursuit. The two soon found themselves in a heavy battle on the roof of the notorious bank, the black fighter's agility acting as the only means of survival against the outlash of dark energy from the angered demon.

As the rubble continued to fall, bright green eyes fluttered open. The young alien gazed out at her surroundings, fear filling her orbs as her mind raced. She quickly flew through the air, faced with nothing but destruction. Seeing Robin in the path of a falling beam, the girl raced toward him, pulling him out of the way just in time.

A moan escaped his lips as she settled him back on the ground, out of harms way. "St-Starfire?"

"Robin!" the girl breathed as a sigh of relief followed. "I-I am confused. Beast Boy and Cyborg are not moving and I cannot find friend Raven or the Red X."

The black haired boy jumped into a sitting position, his masked eyes wide. His mind raced with a swarm of thoughts that made simply no sense to him as he tried to comprehend what Starfire had revealed. As if to answer the alien's last inquiry, a loud bang sounded from above them.

"The roof!"

Raven's body convulsed in pain as her opponent's ash colored boot smacked into her stomach. Falling to her knees, the girl became consumed by a fit of coughs as she failed to draw air back into her body.

"X!"

The skulled fighter thrust his head upward, managing only to place it in way of Robin's steel boot. His right hand flew to his chin, clenching it tightly as the pain burned his face. Rolling away from the Titan's next kick, Red X struggled to his feet. After steadying himself, the dark man turned to face his attacker.

"You really know how to spoil someone's fun, kid," he let a small laugh echo from his mask. "We'll meet again, I promise."

And with that, the three Teen Titans found themselves alone, their enemy having vanished into the night. Robin sighed as he walked over to his red haired friend as she cradled a fallen Raven in her arms. The dark girl moaned as she strained to open her eyes. As the world filled her mind, the sorceress gasped, sapphire orbs filled with fear.

"Beast Boy!" She cried before cringing under the weight of her battered body.

The alien and leader took to helping her to her feet, placing one of her arms around their shoulders, supporting her as they made their way back down to the bank's main room. Starfire slowly placed Raven's arm back at her side before running to lift Cyborg from his rubble grave. Robin glanced at the girl who clung to him, giving her a knowing nod. She sighed, uttering her well known chant. Beast Boy's body was consumed in a black sphere and carried carefully toward them.

With their friends in tow, the damaged Titans retreated into the shadow of the night, the weight the world heavy upon their shoulders as darkness swallowed them whole.


	6. Chapter 6

The subtle sound of dripping echoed dismally throughout the dead walls of Titan's Tower. Green eyes burned with tears as they slowly carved paths down bruised cheeks. The beeping of two heart monitors sung in seemingly perfect rhythm to the song of the girl's worried thoughts. Darkness consumed and all thoughts of joy or hope faded in the absence of a guiding light.

Starfire sat alone and wept as Cyborg and Beast Boy lay unconscious in the separate beds beside her.

Far from the confines of the infirmary, two dark Titans sat in deafening silence echoing from the walls of the main room. Robin's masked eyes lay blanketed by a gloved hand as he pressed his face against his fingers as if trying to draw comfort their touch. Raven sat across the room, slouched in a corner as she clutched her left hand, blotches of blood seeping through its bandage. Her eyes gazed at nothing as they held a sense of death, painting the hollowing feelings from within her.

A sigh fell from the lips of the black haired leader as he slowly lifted his head from the hold of his hand. He back rested against the comforting surface of the couch, a wave of warmth washing over him, his closed eyes tilted at the ceiling. Without turning to look at his teammate, Robin voiced a question.

"Y-You'll be able to heal them, right" the boy's voice shook. "I mean, once you're better and all."

"I'm not sure. Possibly."

"Can't you just heal yourself?"

Raven sighed; the weight of the dark room seemed heavy upon her. Her hand began to carefully caress the splotched bandages as she searched for her voice.

"It's not as easy as it sounds, Robin. If I could, I would simply heal myself and the rest of the team, but I can't. When I heal people, I take their pain away and put it into my own body where I can expel it. That's different when I get hurt because the pain is already inside me. My energy is already depleted from the injury so it takes me longer to heal myself. Once I regain my strength, I'll do my best to aid the others."

Robin didn't reply. His hidden eyes had reopened, focused on the stars that peered through the dark clouds. His legs ached, but the boy ignored their call as he stood. Confusion covered his body as his mind rapidly shuffled through the events that he had been through. Nothing was making sense to him.

Before the Titan could analyze much further, the main transmission screen flickered on. The blinding light caught the attention of the two occupying the area. Raven threw the ends of her cloak about her face in an attempt to hide herself from her contradiction as Robin simply turned to see who had called for them, thankful that his mask served as a decent shield from the sudden lamination of the room.

The presence that greeted him was most unexpected. A chilling white skull stared into the concealed eyes of the Teen Titans leader. The face of Red X painted an inerasable image of mockery into his soul. The shadow had returned in the presence of blinding light.

"Hey there, kid, miss me?"

"What do you want, X? Haven't we seen enough of you today?"

"Relax, Robin, I was simply checking up on all of you. So how _are_ you doing?"

"Shut-up! Leave or I'll end this transmission myself!" Robin's hissed through tightly clenched teeth. He made his way closer to the transmission screen, mask furrowed into fine slits.

"Kid, you're getting angry at the wrong person. I'm not the one who knocked out half your team. You might want to think before you start pointing fingers. Why not try accusing the girl who helped bring you all down?" the criminal huffed as his gaze turned to the dark girl in the corner.

Robin's eyes followed the path of his enemy's where he found himself face-to-face with Raven. Sapphire eyes burned holes into his very being as he saw the pain and regret etched within them. Unable to gaze into such pain any longer, the leader turned back to the villain before him.

"Leave her out of this. She lost control and that's your fault!"

"Maybe, but I don't think so and neither does your old friend. He's pretty interested in her from what I can tell."

The black haired boy shot his eyes widely open as a new revelation sunk into his jumbled head. His shoulders began to shake as fear and anger racked his entire body. Though he tried to speak, open puffs of air escaped his parched lips. Taking a deep breath, Robin calmed himself, finding his lost voice.

"You're working for Slade? That's not like you, X, I always thought you liked working alone."

Before the shadow could answer, a small flash of color caught the Titan's eye. Robin smirked, venturing closer to the control panel before pressing a gloved finger down on a small red button. His grin deepened as three white letters appeared in the right hand corner of the screen: REC. His new finding was now on tape.

"He used his powers to recharge your suit, so I'm just doing him some favors as payment. See? I'm not such a bad guy."

"Sure, X, whatever you say," Robin's voice rose as his confidence did so to match the words in perfect unison. "Well tell you owner we'll be meeting him soon." And with that, the leader slammed his hand on the controls, ending the broadcast.

"Why?" a soft voice called out.

The young boy turned to face his approaching teammate as she slowly walked toward him, still holding her injured arm. Her question fell upon him and he found himself unable to clearly answer as her reasons behind such an inquiry were unclear.

"Why what?" he ventured.

"Why end the message before finding out where Slade is? If Red X is working for him, then surely he must know wh-"

Strong hands grasped her shoulders, slowing pulling the empath closer to boy before her. A soft smile grazed his lips as his hidden eyes took shelter in the endless see of blue he stared into. The dark girl's face was contorted in confusion as she wordlessly asked him for any feasible reason for his ongoing stare.

"Why do you think I hit the record button, Rae? There was a billboard behind him with a certain 6-letter word written clear across it. You were right; he's right where we thought he was."

A heavy sigh escaped frowning lips as Raven's amethyst adorned head bent down in deepening sorrow. Her heart pounded, its heavy rhythm haunting the thoughts in her head. Robin stared down at her, his hands still in place, as he wondered what could possibly have hurt her so suddenly.

"I guess we'll be leaving once I heal everyone."

Pain shot through the leader as he realized what he had done. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly, he berated himself for having been so cold to her earlier. He questioned himself, begging his mind for an answer as to why he had been angry at her for her flawed healing ability.

"Raven, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, you had a good reason. Red X is right; most of their injuries are my fault, so your anger was justly directed. Who else is to blame but the one who inflicted their wounds? But that's not what's bothering me."

"Then what is it?"

"I just- I'm not sure if I really want to find Slade again after he-"

Robin didn't let her finish, afraid of what she would say. He simply pulled her into a gentle embrace, his right hand combing her hair in an attempt to sooth the sorceress' wounds. He could feel tears soak through his scuffed uniform as the girl's shoulders shook slightly, overcome with feelings of fear.

"I won't let him hurt you again, I promise," the black haired knight whispered in the ear of the weeping broken angel. "I'll protect you, always. I'll be there for you, by your side."

Raven released herself from his grasp, a curious look playing on her face. Pale fingers reached up and she washed away the tears from her deep eyes as they continued to stare into the mask of the boy before her.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

A small laugh rang from the black haired boy as her question entered his mind. "Why? Because you mean a lot to me, Raven, more than you'll ever know. You understand me, you know why I think the way I do, you know what I've gone through, what I'm still going through. When I'm with you," he whispered, his fingers reaching up and slowly removing his mask. "I don't feel the need to wear this anymore."

The dark girl was instantly drawn to his ice blue eyes, mesmerized by their beauty. She felt a wave of warmth wash over her as a hand caressed her cheek gently. As Robin leaned closer, she unintentionally followed, still locked in the trance cast by his mysterious orbs. In one breathless instant, their lips met and all the world melted away.

As the two birds became entwined by love's duet, the shadows concealed green eyes as strands of red fell across them, sinking slowly in the tears the replenished dried rivers stained upon a young girl's face.

_**Author's Note: **_**Don't be stupid and flame me just cuz you don't like Robin/Raven!** I'm personally a huge fan of **both** **Rob/Rae and BB/Rae**. Please keep in mind that just because they're together now, **doesn't **mean things will remain that way. For all of you readers who don't like this pairing, please don't stop reading the story because of this chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

Grey sunlight poured faintly into a room full of darkness. Thick velvet curtains trapped all warmth from entering but the slivers of light that escaped through the gaps by the floor. Strewn in silk sheets, a broken child tossed and turned, sweat pouring from the sides of her pale face. Dark eyebrows were furrowed, parched lips left ajar, as the girl desperately tried to escape the nightmare haunting her mind.

A voiceless scream rang from her lips as she threw herself from her bed, now fully awake and free of the dream's deadly chains. Her mind raced, visions of her father replaying in her mind, a sense of death and burning filling her senses. As she closed her eyes in meditation, the calmness she sought refused to answer.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos," she called to the air, her body now levitating, her legs crossed, as she tried in vain to erase all memory of her premonition.

Tranquil darkness became submerged in a flurry of flames, causing the empath to twitch at the sudden sensation of heat. Droplets of water could be seen falling from the sky painted by her mind, yet their source was not to be found. A glow of green grazed the darkness, mixing with the fire, only to be put out by a rush of sky-cried tears.

Raven shook herself from the trance, refusing to bare witness to the strange image any longer. What an awkward morning it had slowly become with a dream of her father met soon after with a interesting mix of symbols in meditation.

She lowered herself to the ground, a sudden wave of mysterious guilt blanketing her body in its entirety. Sapphire eyes grew in confusion as the girl clasped a hand to her chest, shaken by the unexplained emotion. After a few moments had past, she shrugged her shoulders, finding any further search for the guilt's cause to be fruitless.

"Strange," she muttered while picking a fresh uniform from her closet. "A nice cold shower should help me relax."

A few keys were pressed before her grey door opened itself to greet her to the day. Her pale feet shivered as she walked the empty halls with no shoes to keep them comforted, but the girl did not mind in the slightest. Coldness was welcomed more to her than the aggravating feel of the sun.

A sigh of relief fell from her mouth as she noticed the bathroom door open. There would be no need to wait this morning. She made her way quickly to the awaiting shower, but before she reached the door, a sudden thrust knocked her to the wall. Quickly shaking herself back in order, the dark fighter looked up to see with whom she had collided.

"Forgive me, Raven, I did not notice you."

Before Raven could utter a response, Starfire moved briskly onward, a blank look upon her face, replacing the well known cheerful bravado the alien girl wore daily. Though slightly shocked by the display of depression from the Tamaranian, the empath ventured into the bathroom, confident her friend would confide in her if there was any need to. As she unclasped her cloak, however, she couldn't seem to shake of the pounding guilt that had suddenly doubled during her encounter with the other girl.

Robin exited the main room, having finished a plentiful breakfast, and journeyed to the infirmary, hopeful that his teammates would be in better condition. His fingers tapped in a code, opening the large doors, and he walked inside.

Rather than being consumed by the endless sea of computer beeping, the young leader was welcomed to the sound of a tireless argument. There before him sat Beast Boy and Cyborg, fully awake, bickering at one another from their respective beds.

"Get me out of this place!"

"Man, are you crazy? The guy cooked you like a goose! Just lie down and shut-up!"

"No! This place is boring and I hate it! I'm fine!" the stubborn changeling screamed in response. "Watch, I'll show you!"

And with such a proclamation announced, the foolish boy knew he could not back down. Against the wish of his injured limbs, Beast Boy rose to his feet, wobbling at first before gaining his balance. A toothy grin stretched over his face in triumph only to be wiped away as he fell face first to the ground.

Robin couldn't help but laugh lightly at the brilliant display of idiocy before him. Beast Boy always seemed to be funny when he never meant to be and just the opposite when humor was his intention. The black haired boy casually cleared his throat as a newly charged Cyborg lifted the fallen boy from the ground.

"Oh hey there, Robin! How's it goin'?" the tin man huffed.

"Better than down here from what I can tell. Seems like you're okay," the leader paused before he continued, taking a moment to take a good look at the strange green elf. "though it looks like Beast Boy might be out of commission for some time."

"Dude! I'm right here! If you're gonna talk about me, at least include me in the conversation!"

The dark haired Titan ignored the rude outburst from the boy beside him, focusing his attention on his calmer teammate. Through vague summaries, the two filled one another in on the events that had taken place whilst they were unconscious. Robin learned of Raven's vicious outburst, and the other two were informed of the empath's futile battle against their shadow of an enemy.

"So, um, got any good news? I think we could go for some of that right about now," Beast Boy sighed as concern flooded his emerald eyes.

"Actually I do, but it would best if the girls were here. Starfire should be up by now so why don't we go ahead and walk over to the main room? I've got everything set up in there," Robin declared before heading out the door, leaving the two Titans unable to utter a single response.

Beast Boy growled, his teeth clenched and fingers bawled into tight fists. "Hello? I can't move, remember?" The green boy's angered voice served only to echo back to him from the closed door, doing nothing to calm his nerves.

"Yo man, chill. I know you're mad we got beat, but it happens. Look, I'll carry you there and then maybe Rae can heal you or somethin'."

The young boy's rage was lifted from his body at the mentioning of a familiar name. He took a deep breath and nodded, praying that their dark friend would not be present when they arrived in the new room, knowing very well the extent to which she would tease him.

Starfire smiled falsely as Robin walked casually into the room, wishing her a good morning. He moved briskly toward the transmission controls, pressing a red switch, which set off the alarm on each Titans' communicator, hoping that the call would bring Raven into the main room as well. As hoped, the dark warrior flew through the door, hair sopping wet, cloak thrown on crooked.

The leader smiled at her, a light blush heating his face as he realized he had possibly called her while she was showering. Before he could mouth a greeting, Cyborg walked through the door, Beast Boy thrown over his shoulder. Such a sight was enough to silence the dark Titans as they did they did their best to suppress fits of laughter.

Each fighter settled themselves on the couch; Beast Boy was placed between Cyborg and Raven and Starfire was sitting a small distance from the dark girl, her eyes focused on the cup of orange juice she had prepared for herself. Robin stood before them, a confident smile playing on his lips.

"Alright, well our last meeting was interrupted so I figured we should continue where we left off," he began. "I've gotten some new information that should help up greatly with our search for Slade and we have no one else but Red X to thank for that."

All eyes but Raven's grew wide with disbelief. Shocked silence consumed the heroes until Beast Boy delved into himself, managing to pull his voice from where it hid.

"What did you do? Have a little pow-wow or something?"

The leader laughed lightly, the clueless boy's humor amusing him once more. "Not entirely, but I guess you could call it something like that. He sent us a video call and just happened to be standing in front of a useful sign."

Robin turned to the control panel behind him, pressing a few buttons and quickly pressing another to stop the transmission was it portrayed their enemy and strange lettering behind him. Sitting in a chair, the black haired boy entered in a series of commands, causing the large image to zoom in toward the sign, the letters becoming clear.

"Gotham Construction Company?" the green boy voice in curiosity.

"Exactly," Robin's voice soared as he turned his chair to face the others. "From what I can tell, our little "friend" was paying that city a visit and there's only one explanation for it. When we were talking, he mentioned reimbursing Slade for powering the suit without the zynothium."

"He is partners with the mad man?" Starfire piped.

"Doubtful, but that doesn't mean he's not just running a few errands. Slade was always into the whole idea of using people for his own benefit that could harm us emotionally."

"Tell me about it!" Beast Boy grunted as the words seemed to pain him.

The dark haired boy shot him an apologetic glance before continuing. "If the two _are_ working together, it's only temporary. Slade'll use him until all his little tasks are done and in return, Red X gets to use all his gadgets again."

Cyborg contemplated the new information before nodding in approval. "Makes sense. X never really struck me as a guy who liked workin' for anyone else other than himself. I doubt he'd want anything to do with Slade if there wasn't anythin' in it for him."

"Right. So I'm guessing you can all tell where I'm going with this. We should head out for Gotham and-"

"Wait!" the changeling interrupted. "How do you know if this isn't just a trap? That guy's pretty smart, isn't he? It doesn't really make sense for him to stand right in front of billboard with the word 'Gotham' written clear across it!"

Raven's sapphire eyes gazed into the boy's emerald orbs, reading into his troubled soul. She sighed before turning her attention to Robin. "He has a point. We can't just foolishly rush in when we have no guarantee that Slade truly is in Gotham. This could all be an attempt to lure us from the city. If we leave, word will get around this place faster than you can blink. Every villain we've faced will have a field day."

The empath's revelation cast a silence throughout the group as they lost themselves in thought, trying desperately to mend the flawed plan they had nearly agreed on. Everything seemed to be working against them. They couldn't just leave the city and yet they couldn't possibly pass up the possibility of finding Slade.

"Perhaps it would be best to do the splitting up?"

All eyes fell on the red haired alien, each one full of agreement. Robin turned his gaze from her in order to speak to the rest as a whole. "Sounds like a plan to me. I'll head to Gotham. I'm the most familiar with that place out of us and I have some _connections_ that could be of some use."

The team took notice to the slowness of his speech, sensing his uneasiness. Cyborg stood from his place on the couch, making his way over to their distraught teammate. A metal hand rested on the young boys shoulder, doing its best to comfort him.

"You won't go alone. Take Star with you. Raven and I'll stay behind and help out Beast Boy until he gets better. Don't sweat, little man, we'll protect the city while you're gone."

Robin sighed. "Thanks, but Gotham isn't the best place in the world, I don't think I'd feel comfortable bringing Star there."

"Man, she's three times stronger than you! If anything, she'll be rescuing your butt from danger. Plus, besides me, you two are the healthiest ones around. If that doesn't mean it should be you guys goin', then I don't know what does!" the robot laughed.

"Agreed. Please allow me accompany you, Robin."

The leader sighed in defeat. Cyborg had a point and no matter how much he disliked it, he couldn't get out of it. He and Starfire would venture to a world he had prayed he would never be forced to return to.

"Alright, we'll leave in the morning."

The alien let a smile grace her lips as she slowly reached out, pulling Robin into an unconfident embrace. With his last words, Robin declared their meeting over, everyone well informed with their assignments. One by one, the Titans filed out of the room except for the two dark birds.

Silence over took the pair, neither gazing at one another. Raven's heart pound painfully as her forgotten guilt wrapped itself around her once more, images of Starfire leaping in her mind. Then suddenly all was clear, her blue eyes filled with realization. She knew where the awkward feeling had come from.

"Does Starfire seem a bit off to you, Raven?"

The dark girl sighed. "Why do you find that odd? It seems only natural for her to be hurt after what happened."

"Red X didn't injure her that badly, did he?" the boy voiced in concern.

"That's not what I meant, Robin. She obviously saw something you and I never meant for her to see," Raven whispered. "She knows what happened last night."

"Raven I-"

The girl didn't let the poor man finish. Her eye locked onto his hidden orbs, stabbing through the mask and into the feelings that lay beneath his skin. There was no emotion etched into her face, only a blank stare.

"Now I know why I felt so guilty this morning. It is all finally clear to me," her voice shook as it flew from her pale lips. "Last night was a mistake."


	8. Chapter 8

Robin blinked, the girl's words falling on seemingly deaf ears. Had he truly heard her correctly? Was the gothic beauty truly denouncing the only act of love he had ever summed up enough courage to show? Each question stabbed the boy's heart like ice; every touch was unbearable.

"W-What?" he stumbled, voice shaking terribly. "What do you mean by 'mistake'? How?"

"Can't you see-"

"No! I can't see anything!"

"Robin, did you completely miss the expression on Starfire's face?" the empath questioned; uncertainty was clearly embedded in her speech.

"This isn't about Starfire!"

"Yes it is! It has been and always will be!"

The leader fell silent. His mind screamed in rebellion against Raven's words, and yet there was a suffocating feeling deep within his chest that seemed to beat in harmony to the message he was being thrown. He felt a war erupt inside of him, slow yet vicious as the seconds ticked away.

Taking his lack of response as a silent submission, the girl pressed forward with her explanation.

"Take a candle, Robin, and blow out its flame. Deprive it of its own light and then place it in a dark room. What happens to it?"

Robin was stunned by the strange question. A candle? What purpose did such a meaningless tool seem to serve in their current situation? Unwilling to analyze Raven's thought process any further, he answered as best he could.

"I-I'm not sure. It gets covered by shadow?"

"And that's my point. You lose the candle in the darkness-"

"But it's still there!" Robin quickly added, his mind second-guessing the girl's explanation.

"Can you be sure of that or are you simply assuming that is so? You can't see the candle, now can you? So what guarantee do you have that it remains where you left it? Nothing thus your candle is lost. Light a match now and revive the burned out stick of wax. What happens then?"

"I-I don't see the point of this, Rae!"

"You can see it again, can't you? The candle is once again visible, but so is part of the room you placed it in, so the light did more good than just reviving what was first put out."

Robin's mask furrowed in confusion; his mind was trying desperately to shuffle the riddle into an understandable order. For as long as he had known Raven, she had been nothing but a puzzle missing a thousand pieces and tonight was no exception. Trying to decipher her was something Robin, though he hated to admit it, could not do.

"But what is all of that suppose to mean, Raven?"

The dark girl sighed, the words she was about to utter coming to her more difficulty than expected. Her slender fingers clasped together in two tight fists, sharp nails threatening to pierce the soft skin of her palm. She lowered her head, amethyst hair shinning brilliantly in the light of the sun in a strange contradiction to her mood.

"Think of yourself as the candle, Robin, a human who once had a wonderful life only to lose it all in a gust of unfortunate wind. Think of me as the dark room, an outsider who has never truly known anything but a life of sheer blackness. If you were to be with me, you would only end up losing yourself. I can't offer you the healing that you need. I can only serve to make your suffering worse!" she cried out in desperation.

Robin inhaled swiftly, Raven's puzzle was now starting to come together. His eyes bent in a strange sadness that he could not place as either being sympathy for the girl or a deep depression for himself. Without thinking, the boy moved forward, wrapping Raven in a tight embrace.

"You could never make my life worse, Raven. How could the only person who sees the real me possibly hurt me?"

The sorceress jerked into a stiffened position, the boy's words running through her head. She blinked twice before shoving her way out of his hold. Her blue eyes held a painful image of regret and yet behind the saddened mask of color lay a vibrant display of realization.

"There, you said it. You voiced the only reason you believe you care for me. You're blinding yourself! You-"

"How?" Robin's voice rose, his hand hesitating before he ripped the mask from his face, revealing the pale skin and brilliant eyes underneath. "How can I be blind when I see you so clearly?"

"It can never work between us."

"It can't work, or you won't let it?"

Raven's eyes shut, tears brimming at the edges, soaking her long eyelashes. Her mind yelled back at her, cursing her frail state and sudden display of emotion. It all became too much to bear, the noise of Robin's angry voice colliding with the sound of her own internal screaming. Her knees faltered and soon gave way. The girl fell to her hands and knees, shoulders shaking at the presence of unshed tears.

The dark leader felts all traces of rage dissipate as he watched her fall before him, unable to summon the strength to stand. A wave of guilt washed over him. He lowered himself on one knee, a gloved hand drawing Raven toward him, allowing the shaken girl to rest against his chest as she fought to contain her anguish.

"I want it to work," she spoke softly. "But it can't. I know you still love her; I can see it clearly in your eyes, even if you can't seem to do the same."

"Why do you keep telling me that I love Starfire the same way I love-" he paused, unable to complete his own sentence.

"Can't bring yourself to say it, can you? You can't lie to yourself. You've spent so much time drawing closer to her. You can't just give that all up."

Robin sighed. "But being with you feels so right."

"I know, so do a lot of things, but that doesn't mean they are. We both need balance and you know just as well as I do that we can't give that to each other. I don't want you to end up like that candle and I'll do whatever it takes to keep you from that fate… even if it means giving you up."

"So that's it? It's over, just like that?"

Raven opened her mouth to speak, but the boy had already moved to a standing position. She mustered up as much strength as she could and slowly did the same. Robin's blue eyes shattered her own as the hurt within them mixed violently with threatening anger.

"This trip to Gotham may do both of us some good," the girl sighed as her voice carried on. "It will give you time to realize my point. I know you think I'm simply being cruel, throwing your feelings away without a second thought, but doing this is hurting me as well."

"Then stop the pain and let me be with you."

"I can't!"

He moved closer. "If you're worried about your powers, we'll find a way to get through it."

"It's not that! Haven't you been listening to me? We're not in love with each other!"

The light above them shattered, glass falling into the gap between the two Titans. Raven's voice echoed from the walls of the empty room, replaying itself within Robin's mind. A strange sensation filled the leader, his chest tightening, air coming into his lungs in small spasms.

Raven felt his aura drop, pain consuming his entire being. She turned her face away from him, unable to meet his lost gaze. Her mind raced and yet she knew she owed the poor boy an explanation for what she had just announced.

"Robin, there's been so much going on lately. Slade returns, then Red X, and now the team gets hurt. It's all been too much to bear for both of us. We're not thinking straight. Out of the confusion, our close friendship was mistaken for something else. We're being blinded by our similarities, taking that as an excuse to satisfy our lust and-"

"Lust? Is that what you call it?" Robin's eyes pounced on her in terrifying fury. "Is that what you think my feelings for you are? Just some sick fantasy I've kept tucked away?"

"Robin, I-"

"No, don't! I don't want to hear it! Maybe you're right and maybe you're wrong. I don't know right now. I'm just going to leave for Gotham with Starfire and forget this whole conversation ever happened. We'll see what happens then."

Without leaving room for a response, the rash Titan pushed passed the dark empath, never looking back as he stormed out of the main room and into the hallway, the training room his only destination. A blurred image of green caught the corner of his eye as he moved along, but he chose to ignore it, his mind threatening to drive him insane.

Raven's eyes were concealed as she blinked slowly, pausing for a moment before reopening them. The tears that had threatened to fall were now gone, her eyes dry of sorrow and any other emotion. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she lost herself in the form of her soul-self, the eerie shadow of a raven.

Once on the roof, the girl returned to her human-like body, and levitated in the air. Meditation was what her mind was calling for though she knew the feelings she would attempt to control where locked in a place her chains could not reach.

A/N: dodges flying shoes Eep! Don't kill me, Rob/Rae fans! It's only Chapter 8! They might get back together, they might not. There will be more interaction between the two once Robin and Starfire return from Gotham. Please don't flame me because they got into that argument.


	9. Chapter 9

The day seemed to pass by rather quickly; before long, the sun setting and stars brimming with silver light. Unlike the average days of the Titans, the main room remained empty following the strange argument between the dark teens, each member of the team deciding it best to fulfill their own needs in the time they had been granted by villains at rest.

Moonlight poured into the darkness of the tower, its sphere nearly full. Robin lay awake, his mind counting imaginary dots on the ceiling. Hours seemed to pass, the night still prevailing over the coming morning as the boy rose from his bed, leaning over the edge to pull out an old wooden box.

The container was covered in a thin layer of grey dust, which was easily discarded with a quick brush of air from the boy's lips. The wood that lay beneath was such a deep shade of red that in the faint light of the moon, it appeared solid black. Ornate carvings lined the edges of the age damaged box. Ungloved fingers traced the intricate designs before slowly sliding the lid to the side.

Old fliers lay in a jumbled mess, some folded neatly, others smashed together, but each bearing the logo of a familiar circus act. A sigh flew from his lips, while he shook slightly in the presence of deep sorrow. Robin's right hand searched below the pile before coming to a halt, fingers grazing against a cool surface.

Out from under the papers came a strange souvenir. The Titan caressed the object carefully as if afraid it would shatter before his very eyes if he held it too tightly. Memories filled his mind, the ebony weapon staring back at him in mockery. Suddenly something snapped. Anger filled his ice blue eyes bringing his bare hand into a tight fist around the item's bat-like shape.

As quickly as he had grasped it, the boy was forced to let go, its sharp edges having pierced the soft flesh of his right hand. Blood trickled down his palm, trailing down unnoticed as the boy's eyes remained locked on what had caused his pain.

"I never thought I'd be forced to see you again," his deep voice broke just above a whisper. "Damn it all."

Time passed on unnoticed; hours sped by in the length of what appeared as minutes. The sun rose rather suddenly, its rays bringing life to the seemingly dead room. Robin heaved a final sigh before lifting himself off his bed. He quickly removed his night cloths, the black shirt and matching pants falling carelessly to the ground, and changed into his well known uniform, placing the mask over his eyes.

He paused slightly, adjusting the golden belt on his hips, his shielded orbs focused on the ancient weapon lying on the floor. Robin gazed at his right hand, the blood still flowing freshly, and decided it would be rather stupid to place his gloves on only to let them be stained. He shrugged and made his way out of his room, gloves in one hand, ready to find Starfire and head out for Gotham City.

Before he was even able to take two steps, the golden-skinned alien was in front of him. He jumped back at her presence, not expecting her to be waiting outside his door.

"'Morning, Star."

Green eyes closed as a brilliant smile graced her lips. "Thank you and a glorious morning to you as well, Robin. Will we be leaving soon?"

"Yeah, um, why don't you grab your things and we'll go ahead and leave now? Might as well get going before the others get up."

The alien stiffened. She had not expected the boy's strange response. The idea of leaving the other Titans without a simple utterance of "good-bye" was not what she had in mind; it was something she would have never thought possible to do.

Starfire opened her mouth to protest, but the brash, young fighter was already making his way to the garage. She sighed, knowing full well it was pointless to argue against his stubborn bravado. Defeated, she dragged herself toward her open doors, picking up the bag she had left near the entrance, and followed Robin to the R-Cycle.

"Must we abandon our friends without the saying of 'good-bye'?" she summoned the courage to squeak. Her eyes drifted to his hands, noticing them bare and one smeared in a strange dark color. "And what of your hand? If you have been damaged you must allow Raven to do the proper healing."

"We're not abandoning them, Star," Robin's voice carried with a struggle as he attempted to place their bags in the storage compartment of his vehicle; his response intentionally ignoring the girl's last comment. "We'll come back in a few weeks and everything will be back to normal."

Starfire swallowed loudly, a wave of uneasiness smothering her very being as the words from the dark boy sunk into her mind. His last words seemed strange to her and drawing on her knowledge of his personality, she was able to see that trouble was on their hands.

"You plan to do battle with Slade if he is in Gotham City?"

It was more of a statement than a question; Robin could tell. His attention froze upon her face, the worry that lay embedded in her eyes taunted his every move. Quickly, he tore his gaze from hers, no longer wishing to listen to her unspoken advice.

"Let's go, Starfire."

"Go? What makes ya think you two can run off without sayin' good-bye to us all?" a familiar accent lit the dark tone of the large room.

Robin let out an audible sigh, his hope to leave without delay now shattered by the presence of his fellow teammates filing into the garage one by one. His masked eyes glanced over each of them, studying their mixed faces. In Cyborg he found worry, in Beast Boy was a strong sense of reluctance, but Raven was by far the most baffling. In the empath's sapphire eyes, Robin felt an overwhelming sense of regret. Her eyes gazed only at her feet, never lifting, even when Starfire embraced her.

As he continued to study her, he noticed she was moving closer, her eyes still downcast as if she was afraid to face him. Without uttering a word a white light grew from her hands, enveloping his cuts in an overpowering sensation of warmth. He stood there, mesmerized as she healed the damage that had been done.

The light seemed to fade as soon as it had come and once she was finished, the sorceress flashed him a weak smile before walking back to where she had stood before. Robin looked back at the others realizing none of them had taken notice to what had been done; Starfire had kept the boys' attention fairly well. A small laugh escaped him as he gloved his hands and walked toward them.

"Well, dudes, don't do anything I wouldn't do!" the green elf cheered, his voice cracking slightly as his true feelings threatened to break through.

Raven fought back a snide remark, now was not the time and place to insert satire. She stayed silent the majority of the conversation; she was simply in no state of mind to be speaking. Occasionally she would glance at Robin, doing her best to bleed through the black and white covering and peal back the shield that closed her off from his entire feelings.

Regardless of the fact that she could not see his eyes, the dark girl knew most of what emotions were shifting for control within him. The leader's constant remarks of their connection with each other, having been sparked by Raven's journey inside of his body, were true and it was due to this strong connection that she was given the upper hand; she was able to see past what he threw at her in an attempt to hide.

There was pain written all over his soul.

The loud roar of the R-Cycle brought Raven back to reality only for a few moments. Robin grabbed two helmets from the storage compartment in the back before making his way to the side of the motorcycle. He climbed on the bike smoothly, his body accustomed to the action from their previous battles, and Starfire followed in suit, her ascent far less graceful than the boy in front of her. With the alien's arms fixed tightly about his waist, Robin bid his friends one final good-bye before speeding down the open road.

Raven's eyes stood fixed on the retreating image of the motorcycle as it vanished beneath the waves that encircled the island they called home; the underwater tunnel to solid ground would be their route to freedom. Her mind silently cursed her for not having spoken to them, but perhaps it was for the best. Thoughts ran swiftly through her mind, the outside world oblivious to her racing head, and her eyes shifted in every direction as if confused.

Suddenly the silence was broken.

"Alright, y'all, I'm gonna make me some waffles! Care to join me?"

Beast Boy's eyes lit up at the mention of food, though he would have preferred the notion of tofu waffles. He opened his mouth to speak, his eyes glancing at Raven in an attempt to coerce her into joining them, but his words fell to floor at the sight of her lost expression.

"M-maybe later, Cy, I'm not that hungry," the boy spoke, his eyes eternally fixed on the forgotten girl.

"Oh, I see. Heh, well you two have fun!" the cybernetic giant laughed deeply before closing the door behind him.

The silence returned, swallowing the two Titans for minutes that seemed to stretch upon the length of days and years. Beast Boy's emerald eyes never faltered from its hold on the sulking figure before him. He had every intention of moving to comfort her, but for a reason he had yet to disclose, he was frozen in place.

"Must you stare at me?" Raven's ice cold voice blew, sending a series of small shivers to ripple through the young boy, a light bit of laughter escaping Beast Boy's lips as his body shook.

"Sorry, I-I just," he paused, his words coming harder than expected. "Are you okay?"

A deep sigh sounded as Raven's blue eyes rose to meet his, searching for a motive behind his question; concern was the only answer she could find. Seeing it unnecessary to reveal the previous event between her and their leader, the dark girl chose a plan of simple answers.

"I will be." And with that she walked off, her shoulder brushing against his as she walked past him.

A rush of angered boiled the fighter's green skin; his eyes flashed in warning. He spun around, his eyes locking on her retreating form, and his voice echoed from his lips with a force strong enough to stop her.

"Don't lie to me, Rae! How can you be okay after what happened yesterday?"

As the words escaped his angered lips, the Titan regretted his rash behavior. He was surely going to pay dearly for what he had just revealed to the girl. He knew her secret; he had watched her from the shadows. Raven was now vulnerable to him.

Raven's body went stiff. Her mind scrambled its thoughts into the form of a deafening truth: Beast Boy knew. She turned to face him. Her ocean blue orbs held a world of betrayal inscribed beneath their blinding waves.

"Raven, I-"

The changeling's words fell on deaf ears as a sensation of deep burning blanketed the stunned girl. Pain shot through her pale features as the heat became unbearable, radiating from her face. Beast Boy moved to speak once more but was silenced as a strange light came forth. There, upon Raven's forehead, was the symbol of Trigon, shinning brilliantly in the darkness around them.

A/N: Woo! AP Testing is over so I'll be able to update this more often. Next time, expect to see some scenes with Red X and Slade. If any of you are confused about how BB knows about the arguement Rae and Robin had, look back at the previous chapter. When Robin leaves the main room, "A blurred image of green caught the corner of his eye". I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! See you next time!


	10. Chapter 10

A chilling wind rolled across the tops of forgotten buildings, night having swallowed any trace of light within them. At the top the highest rooftop, cast in the shadow of the moonlight, there was a lone soul; his tattered cape billowed wildly as his masked face remained titled down toward nothing.

The sudden sounding of a small alarm caught the figure's attention as an object hidden beneath his uniform began to vibrate. A gloved hand reached at his side, grasping a small circular device from inside his pocket. As he raised it to the front of his mask, a familiar face became visible on the tiny screen.

"X!" the screen spat with venom. "Report!"

The boy let a small huff of laughter escape his lips as he found amusement in his 'master's' frustration.

"All goes as planned, Slade. Two of them are headed this way; the other three are staying behind."

"And when were you planning to tell me this? After they were at your doorstep?" the notorious villain grunted.

"Relax, I gave you what you wanted, didn't I? It doesn't really matter when I tell you as long as you find out in the end." Confidence rang from the black fighter as a brilliant sense of arrogance protruded from his hidden expression.

"The next time I tell you to report within 24 hours, I mean it! Don't toy with me, X! If you want to keep that handy little suit of yours functional then you will do what I order you to do. Is that clear?" Slade's visible eye narrowed in bitter resentment as the words fell from his mouth.

"That depends," the teenager challenged, "When am I getting that belt you promised me? I'm sick of running your errands. Just give me the belt and we can go our separate ways."

The screen flickered once, the connection on the verge of being lost, as Slade lowered his head slightly. "Patience, your new toy is in the final stages of creation. Give it time. I assure you, you will have the belt by the time you finish this last task. Tell me, who is it that's coming to Gotham?"

"Boy Wonder and the redhead."

"Good. You know where to lead them. I'll take care of the other three." With that final line, the transmission was ended. Slade's face disappeared from the screen and the small device was placed back where it belonged.

"This is going to be fun."

Red X jumped from his place upon the roof, falling for a few moments, his blood red cape casting color across the night, and finally vanishing without a trace.

It had been nearly a full day of driving for the two teens atop the R-Cycle and by the time the moon was high enough to be seen, Robin felt his legs go numb. Seeing a sign for an exit, the black haired boy moved into the far right lane slowly, doing his best to avoid waking the alien behind him who had seemingly fallen asleep with her head rested against his back.

Before long, Robin was able to locate a decent motel with available rooms. He stopped the bike and reached behind him, tapping Starfire on the head. Eyes of jade met with black and white as the girl brought herself back to reality.

"Have we arrived?" the young girl asked, sounds of sleep still dominating her voice.

"Not quite. We're about half way there, but once we get to the city, there's still a few hours left before we make it to our final destination."

"And where is it that we intend to go?" Starfire squeaked as she followed Robin's lead in dismounting the vehicle.

A sip of poison seeped into his words as he responded. "That's not important. Let's just grab out things and get a room. We'll be leaving at sunrise tomorrow to get an early start on the next day's ride, so we should try and get as much sleep as possible."

Starfire sighed; Robin's words had brought a tight knot into her chest. She did not argue or press the matter any further. If there was something bothering the boy, she would have to assume it was about the place they were venturing to until he became more approachable.

Submitting to his plans, she pulled out a small bag of clothing and followed as he ventured into the lobby. The motel appeared to be barely well kept in the glory of the night. Chairs were turned over, papers scattered about the ground, and at the front desk say a lone girl, a cigarette hanging from the edges of her lips.

"Hey there, cutie," the new girl called as her blonde hair fell across her eyes. "What can I do fer ya?"

Robin grimaced at the nickname he received, but his discomfort was only heightened when he noticed the aggravation in Starfire's eyes, now narrow slits of green. He cleared his throat rather loudly, giving the blonde a cold stare before he spoke with a voice stained in ice.

"We need a room for the night."

"A room, aye? One bed?"

"Two."

A sour laugh flew from her mouth as she bent down to retrieve the keys. A loud 'clank' sounded as the girl slammed them on the counter. "There ya go, sweet cheeks. Room 214. Take the stairs up two flights and it's on yer right."

Robin's gloved hand snatched the keys from their resting place as he began to storm out of the room, Starfire following a few steps behind him. They did no speak as their boots clanged against the metal stairs. The pair traveled in the comfort of silence until they reached their room.

The black-haired teen unlocked the door, cringing as it creaked rather loudly. The two walked inside, placed their bags on their beds, and took immediately to getting dressed in their night clothes.

Several minutes later, Starfire stepped forth from the bathroom clad in a pink long sleeve button up shirt and matching pants. She ran a brush through her long red hair as her eyes searched the room for her companion. At first glance the room appeared empty, but as she began to look once more, a strange flash of light caught her eye. There, by the window, stood Robin, his black pants sleeve-less shirt and pants having blended him in to the lightless surrounding. In his bare hand, the onlooker noticed, was a strange charcoal object.

"Robin, what is-"

"It's nothing," the boy's harsh voice silenced hers as she appeared at his side. To stop and further probing from the girl, Robin moved the familiar weapon from her view.

"I-I see," Starfire began in a stutter, her voice chocked by the threat of tears. "Perhaps it is not my place to speak…perhaps it is Raven's instead."

Masked eyes grew wide in shock as they turned to gaze into the lost green pools of accusation.

Loud banging echoed violently throughout the hall of Titans Tower; Raven's hall. Masked by the black all around was Beast Boy with his hand colliding against the cool surface of the empath's door.

"Raven! Open up! Please? I'm sorry!"

Met only with silence, the changeling slammed his head against the door as his knees brought him sinking to the ground. The dark girl had seemingly vanished from sight the moment the strange red light etched itself onto her forehead. Having phased through the floor, the girl locked herself in the confines of her room, never speaking in answer to the boy's pleas regardless of how long he stood there knocking.

"Look, Rae," he started, ignoring the fact that he had used a nickname she abhorred. "I understand if you're still mad, Hell, I would be too if I were you, but I'm just asking you to hear me out. I didn't mean to eavesdrop. Honest! I was just walking by and then I heard talking and I couldn't help it. You know what I'm like, Raven, I get too curious for my own good, but I-I'm worried about you…that's why I sorta listened in on things. Let me help you!"

Having hoped his heartfelt monologue would have breeched the icy wall he intended to crack, the green boy was fully disappointed when his only reward was silence once more. He trudged away in defeat, his hand having already begun to bruise from the abuse he had unleashed on Raven's dark grey door. As he walked away, Raven moved toward her door and pressed an ear against it to ensure he was truly gone.

Beast Boy let the hours slip away from him as his thoughts lingered on the events in the garage that had taken place earlier that day. Raven's strange silence, lost expression, and reddish light show was enough to keep his mind fairly occupied.

"What _was_ that thing on her forehead?" Beast Boy was positive that, in the quickness of its occurrence, he would have surely missed it all together had he blinked once and yet, though he was sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him, he still did not understand what it was he had seen.

Realizing that further speculation in his quarters would gain him no answers, he leapt off the top bunk of his bed and headed toward the main room. To his delight, Cyborg sat on the couch, idly flipping through the extensive list of channels the young fighters had been privileged to receive.

"Hey, Cy," the boy called out.

Turning his head, the robot grinned and patted a spot next to him. "Hey there, BB! Come on over an' 'ave yourself a seat!"

The Titan obliged and the thick sound of his boots against the floor served as a cover of the light patter of Raven's own shoes coming toward the occupied room.

"Can I ask you something?" Beast Boy nearly whispered.

"Yeah, sure. Shoot."

"Do you have that security camera tape of Slade's attack?" And with that sentence floating in the air, Raven stopped all movement, her back pressed against the wall just outside the room.

Without even responding, the cybernetic giant hit the play button on the remote and up came Slade frozen on the screen, the red symbol clearly drawn across his mask.

"That's where Robin had it paused. Want me to-"

"No. This is where I need it."

Cyborg's eyes furrowed in confusion. "What's with you, man? You're never this serious!"

Letting a sigh escape his lips, the young boy lowered his gaze to his feet. "After you went in to make breakfast this morning, something weird happened to Raven. I could've sworn I saw some kind of red mark on her forehead, but she disappeared before I could get a good look at it."

"So that's why you've been banging at her door all day. You think it's the same as Slade's?"

"Maybe. If it is, that would kinda help explain why he's after her."

The half demon's knees faltered as her breath caught in her throat. Her blue eyes were drawn in shock by Beast Boy's unnatural display of foresight. Frightened for her life, the empath ran on shaken legs to her room. Once within the dark walls of her sanctuary, she stumbled forward and found herself smashing into her closet only to be tossed into the side of her dresser before falling to the ground. Sweat dripped from her face as her mind replayed what she had overheard.

"He knows too much," she thought out loud. "Too much…far too much. There much be something I can do to-"

Suddenly she jumped, her words having been interrupted by a sudden 'clang'. Her head snapped in the direction of the sound's source where she was met with an unexpected image. There before her, having fallen from the furniture she had previously collided with, lay a black raven hilted dagger, its blade gleaming in the soft glows of the moonlight.

A/N: Okay, Chapters 11 might take me a while to write since it's going to be a very dark part of the story. I really want it to be written the best it can, but hopefully it won't take me too long to complete. The next chapter is basically focused on moving the plot along so don't expect too many fluffy romance scenes. I will probably be changing the rating of this fanfic to M mainly because of the next part I'll be updating, but I assure you, there are no sex scenes in this fanfiction so the rating will not be changing because of that.


	11. Chapter 11

Bright flashes of color threw themselves from a lone window in Titans Tower, becoming a stark contrast against the sleeping city's dead homes. Within the confines of the lit room sat Beast Boy and Cyborg; their minds were seemingly lost to the constant images of their enemy's previous attack. The moment the tape finished, it replayed and paused every now and then on displays of Slade's strange symbol.

"Man, we've been looking at the same thing for over three hours!" Cyborg shouted. "Give it a rest. Are you sure that thing on her was even a symbol?"

The changeling glared at his companion. "What else could it have been, Cy? It's not every day someone's forehead glows red!"

Sighing, the robot raised himself from this comfortable seat on the coach. Pausing a few moments before speaking, his human eye looked deeply into the green orbs below him. "All I'm sayin' is maybe you were just seein' things. Raven's got that gem on her forehead, ya know. What if all you saw was the sun hitting it? That would make it glow, wouldn't it?"

At first, his green lips parted to retaliate; yet his mind disobeyed. Words did not flow, only thoughts. Though the older teen's observation seemed too simple, the boy couldn't help but feel foolish for having rushed into accusing Raven of holding out on them. What if Cyborg was right? What if his mind had just jumped to conclusions after having been filled with worry when the girl's anger began to rise? Raven had a talent for scaring the life out of him when rage began to take over and the more he thought of it, the more probable Cyborg's suggestion seemed.

"Maybe you're right, Cyborg," he whispered in defeat. "Let's call it quits tonight. We'll just ask her in the morning or something."

In silent agreement, Cyborg turned of the remote and followed his friend to the door and into the hall. They walked without speaking as the darkness around them became even greater than before. Beast Boy's mind was lost in though as Cyborg's became trapped in concern for the little green elf. Once they arrived at his room, Cyborg bid his partner good night before disappearing into the safety of his walls.

Beast Boy sighed as his feet carried him along toward his own dwelling. The air was filled with a sudden chill, revealing to the boy where he was: Raven's hall. He paused before her door for a brief moment before letting another sigh escape his tired lips. A tightness formed inside his chest and a sudden flash of worry blanketed his body as his eyes continued to stare at the bold letters of her name engraved in the cool metallic surface of the door. Shrugging the wave of emotion off, the young boy continued onward down the empty halls where sleep awaited him.

Time passed swiftly and still the sun had not risen, though the hours of morning were on the verge of awakening. All was quiet as clocks ticked away the time wasted by sleep. As the stars fought against creeping light, a few souls stirred about opposite ends of the city.

Raven sat with her eyes fixed on the dagger she let rest in her right palm. The intricate carving that shaped the red-eyed bird gave the hilt a seemingly elegant look, despite its dark features. The blade glimmered in the pale touch of light, appearing as an unused knife, its metal point untouched by blood and unhindered by scuff markings. Though she could've sword she had never laid eyes on the blade before, a part of her mind screamed out in a memory she could not place.

Her lips parted, but before she could manage to speak any words, the moon lowered and cast its light through the small window above her dresser. The empath was drenched in fading light, but it was enough to set her skin aflame. Slowly, red markings were cast upon her skin, their glow penetrating the leotard she had worn to cover them.

"Symbols of my demon blood," she spoke softly as images of Trigon drifted in her blue eyes.

Suddenly all was clear. Her orbs widened for a short moment before they shot to the dagger before her. It seemed inconceivable, and yet, it was her only option. The truth of the words she had just uttered was undeniable and she intended to bring her metaphor to life.

Cold, slender fingers grasped the raven-head and brought the blade to the shinning mark etched on her left forearm. Taking a deep breath, the girl plunged the dagger forward, blood spilling over her grey skin as she began to trace the soul staining lines of her birth.

Abandoned roads passed by as a lone motorcycle sped along, its riders weary for sleep yet filled with determination to move forward. Though the clock began to tick away the minutes of five o'clock, the sun refused to rise from its slumber, allowing the moon longer moments of glory with the stars as its meaningful onlookers. Not bothered by the lack of light, the two Titans continued to ride in silence.

A smile lay hidden beneath the boy's helmet and yet, it was still there, gracing Robin's lips. The teen was delighted when he had remembered a shortcut that would save them several hours as they sped along seemingly unknown roads that lay shadowed from the hustle of traffic. He decided to take the road that had first led him to Jump City so many years before. Though infested with soured memories, the path would get them further to where they planned to find traces of Slade's new plot.

"Are we nearing our destination, Robin? The buildings we have passed appear much taller than I am used to," Starfire's innocent voice called.

"Yes," he answered simply. "It shouldn't be long now. You'll see Gotham's bill board soon enough."

The alien's eyes lit up at the sound of his enjoyable voice. Though he had been cold to her the night before, she could not say she had been completely nice herself. Her final comment to him about Raven had earned her a pained look from his eyes as he pushed passed her and took to the comfort of his bed. Though she knew bringing up the subject of the dark teen was unwise, her curiosity had gotten the better of her, a fault she jokingly blamed on the hours spent with Beast Boy. Yet now, the ice had faded from his lips and the kindness she knew him for had returned.

"You are not angry with me, then?" she asked with a hopeful tone.

Robin paused a moment, contemplating her question before answering. "No. I was being a jerk; you had a right to be harsh with me. I've just been a bit stressed lately, but once we get some leads in Gotham, things should work out."

Just as he spoke the name of his forgotten city, the board he had mentioned early come into view. It was only a matter of time before their journey would be over and, if things fell into place as planned, they would arrive at their goal in the hours of late afternoon. Time was of the essence and as things seemed to be progressing, luck was on their side.

A mat of fog rolled before them and in seconds, the pair was consumed in grey mist. A chilled wind picked up and as things began to clear a bit, Starfire's mouth dropped open at the sight of such enormous black buildings. Her head turned from side to side as she viewed each with stunning interest, her mind making a comparison with this dark world and the familiar shadow realm of Raven.

Grey continued to block part of their view, yet they did not stop, fully dependent on Robin's memory to guide them. The alien girl did not pay much attention to where they were going so much as what it was they were leaving. As her eyes wandered, she caught sight of shape drawing near. The figure seemed to be falling, perhaps a bird swooping down to the street, but a flash a red and the image of a white skull proved her wrong.

"Robin!" she panicked, but all was in vain.

The attacker threw down his charcoal foot, slamming it into the side of Robin's head as the villain darted through the air. The Titan was thrown from the R-Cycle in a painful collision with asphalt that tore at his flesh as he fell across it. Starfire was too slow to grab the controls of the bike, forcing her to jump from her seat before it turned over on top of her.

The bike screeched as it fell to its side, metal scrapping against the ground. Sparks flew across the street and in an instant, the vehicle ignited in a stunning display of raging fireworks. Starfire's green eyes widened as she peered down at the fire from her place in the sky, shaken by the fact that she would have been a part of the display had she not escaped in time.

Before much fear could grow in either fighter's mind, the soft tapping of footsteps resonated all around. Out from the shadow of the smoke came a man neither had hoped to encounter. Red X stood in the portrait of the blaze, his red cape whipping through the wind as a hidden smirk formed beneath the mask of death he wore.

Robin struggled to his feet, the pain within his body becoming unmanageable. Using his bo staff for support, the Titan leader huffed strongly and gazed at his unwelcome opponent. The two fighters stood there in silence. It was as if they were playing with each other, trying to mock the other and convince them to strike first while taking no notice of the girl floating above them.

Red X broke the strange silence with a triumphant call. "Miss me, short stop? Let's say we finish our little battle."

As the words rang from his lips, the black suited boy charged forward, an X Razor clasped in his right hand. Robin pushed himself forward in response and met the red weapon with a clash of metal. A makeshift sword fight erupted between the two, each parrying the others attacks and counters.

Equally matched, all seemed to be heading toward a stalemate. Noticing the pointless direction of their battle, X flipped backward, unleashing a sea of red goo at the young teen. Caught in an attempt to fend off the slop with a constant twirl of his staff, Robin lost track of his opponent. Seizing the opportunity, Red X lowered himself with a spin kick that brought Robin to the ground.

Starfire gasped as she saw the boy's head collide harshly with the street. Fearing for his life, she pushed herself forward with glowing palms of green fire. Red X turned at the sound of her battle cry, his eyes wide with shock as a speeding starbolt smacked into his chest. Thrown through the window of a nearby building, Red X's state of absence gave the alien plenty of time to help Robin to his feet. The two Titans smiled at one another for a brief moment before turning to face their enemy, fully intending to bring him down together.

"Starfire," the leader's voice whispered in a low tone. "Take to the air and get behind him. I'm gonna rush him, but I need you to keep him distracted for as long as possible."

The girl nodded, flying toward their recovering opponent. Her eyes flashed a dangerous shade of green as the anger within her body began to boil her blood. Red X stood to meet her and rather than obeying orders, Starfire's anger took over and she went in for a direct hit. Grey gloves clasped around metal arm guards in an attempt to halt the alien's assault, but all did not go as planned. The green flames from Starfire's hands caused a serge of heat to flow along the nearby metal, tearing at the cloth that gripped them and burning the flesh of X's unmasked fingers.

"Shit!" the dark fighter cursed as the sting of his hands threw him from his balance, forcing him to the ground in a pile of anguish.

In an attempt to finish the battle quickly, Starfire raised her hands above her head, concentrating deeply in order to form an enormous flame of power. As she stood there, Robin froze, no longer focused on his own attack as his fascination with the girl's unique abilities took over.

A loud cry sounded from her mouth as she began to thrust the energy downward. Unwilling to be finished off so quickly, the shadow reached for the back of his glove, drawing out an X-blade, which soon found itself hurtling toward the unsuspecting attacker. Blood mixed with a scream as the flame flickered out and the girl's body fell into a dead pile, staining the darkness red.

"Starfire!"

Raising himself from the ground, Red X charged at the heart shaken warrior, meaning to give him no chance to help his fallen companion. Razors clashed with a pole of metal once more, but as the sparks flew, the black fighter began to notice a change in Robin's attack. Anger resonated from the young boy's masked eyes, adding fuel to the strength of his fiery onslaught. Blinded by rage, the Titan battled with every once of power he had.

"Y-you've gotten much better, Robin," the dark boy hissed when their weapons halted against one another. "But is that only because your friend has been killed?"

"She's not dead!" Lost in his own fury, Robin threw his bo staff skyward and thrust it down quicker than his enemy's eyes could catch. All that was seen of the attack was the shards of red metal that flew into the air, remnants of what had been Red X's only defense against the raging teen.

Before he could recover, the shadow felt the pole collide with the side of his face, followed by a blow to his stomach and then to his back. Robin let the air escape his lungs in short spasms as he lifted his fallen target and began to unleash a line of punches where he saw fit, hoping only to bring the boy enough pain to pay for what he had done.

Blow after blow brought a sense of darkness to Red X's eyes as his vision was thrashed about. If this onslaught continued much further, he knew he would eventually black out and the fight would be lost. Searching for an escape, the victim noticed how lose and flimsy the punches he received were and thus saw a way by exploiting the boy's carelessness.

"Y-your a-anger…makes you…w-weak," X stuttered, but managed to say as his hand lunged for the hero's golden belt, pulling from it a small disk which he instantly threw at the boy before disappearing.

Recognizing his own weapon, Robin attempted to shield himself, but his efforts were in vain. Light erupted before his eyes, tearing from him a soul-shattering scream as the heat washed over his face. His knees gave out from under him, causing the gallant warrior to fall into a helpless heap of rubble.

Reappearing atop a nearby building, Red X felt a vibration in the pocked of his suit. His gloved had delved deep to search for the awakened object only to pull out his small communicator, Slade's face having painted it a color of disdain.

"Red X! Your job was to lead them, not kill them!"

The arrogant boy huffed a laugh. "Relax, old man, I was simply giving them a little motivation. See for yourself!"

As he let the words fall from his mouth, the shadow directed the screen of the small device toward the fallen Titans who had already begun to rise from their own ashes. Slade's eye glimmered with a touch of sadistic humor as he watched Robin tear the cinder covered mask from his eyes. His ice blue orbs were lit with a deadly fire as rage took control once more.

Hearing the soft groan of Starfire struggling to her feet, the boy raised his hand, beckoning her to take him toward their evading enemy. Obeying his command, the Tamaranian threw herself into the air against the will of her aching side and clasped his hand in hers, lifting him from the asphalt.

Red X could only smile as he pitied them, their final attempt to take him down becoming a seemingly impossible glimmer of hope. He thrust the communicator into his pocket and let the wind carry his body from building to building as he attempted to outrun his beaten opponents.

The chase continued as the light of day threatened to break the night. Each moment that passed weighed heavily on Starfire, whose open wound still hindered her ability to remain steady in the air. With such a wobbly flight, Robin clenched his teeth in deep anger, withholding the urge to yell at the girl for making it impossible for him to throw any sort of weapon at their escaping target.

The villain chuckled once more as a familiar wall came into view. If the chase lasted only a few more seconds, he would surely succeed in bringing them where Slade had intended. Caught in the lure of such victory, he failed to notice the deepening failure of the alien's energy. All too soon, she plummeted from the sky, dragging Robin down with her, as she lost her mind to unconsciousness.

In a feeble attempt to save them both, the dark Titan pulled out his hook shot and fired, praying silently that luck would be on his side. The clasp tore through the red and black fabric of Red X's tattered cape, throwing him against the wall of his destination. Before he could recover from the blow to his body, his cape gave way to the slow ripping and tore apart from the hook, bringing him to a painful fall.

Robin released his grip on the weapon, landed softly on the ground below and placed Starfire in a corner he deemed safe for the time being. With his enemy distracted by pain, the Titan took advantage of the opportunity. Robin grabbed the boy by the neck and pinned him against the brick wall.

"Why are you working for Slade?" he spat in a voice hissed through clenched teeth. "Why has he come back? What's he after?"

The shadow could only laugh as he tried to sum up a response. "Y-You want to know about the mark, don't you? Well, I'm not the one you should be asking. Try looking in a more obvious place for what you want."

Robin's eyes were set aflame as the man's coded words toyed with his patience. "Stop talking in riddles! I want answers, now! I swear if you don't speak up, I'll kill you right here, and don't think I'm bluffing! You almost killed Starfire; you nearly wiped out my whole team! I have every right to get rid of you once and for all!"

"Don't you see, Robin?" Red X whispered. "The answers are right in front of your face. They've always been there, you've just been too blind to see them."

Shock racked the young boy's body as his enemy's words began to sink in. As his mind lay distracted, X threw his opponent to the ground with a trap of red goo. The harsh collision with the asphalt caused the young Titan to slowly slip from the realm of reality. Extending a razor from his hand, Red X walked slowly toward the fallen leader; his eyes, though masked, were clouded with blood thirst.

"So I should die for trying to kill your friends? Well, guess what, kid? You tried to kill me, which means I have every right to kill you! Fair is fair, isn't? An eye for an eye? Isn't that the sort of useless talk you throw at people you call 'villains'? Sleep tight, kid!"

Red X thrust his hand downward, but was stopped as his own voice let out a shattering scream. Pain filled his being as he felt blood run down his back in a maddening rush. His head shook as he turned it to gaze at what had pierced his plan of murder. Through his covered eyes, he was able to make out a strange charcoal weapon protruding from his back, splashes of his own blood upon its glimmering surface. He staggered forward, eyes losing focus, and then fell to the floor, his black body going limp.

Robin's breath caught in his throat as he watched the notorious thief fall before his eyes. It was the last clear image he saw, but before his eyes failed him completely his gaze was trapped by the rising light. Somewhere in the distance, Robin could swear he saw the sunlight cast an eerie halo around a man cast in shadow, a dark cape encasing his body.

As blood trickled down from his parched lips, he summoned up the strength to speak in an almost desperate attempt to have an unseen ghost tell him his eyes were wrong.

"Batman…"

And as the words took flight from his body, Robin's mind fell to a world of never-ending darkness, the image of the strange shadowed man haunting every silent thought that lay within it.

**A/N:** Okay, well I _thought_ this chapter was going to be my dark one, but I decided to go ahead and dedicate this part of the story to Red X, Robin, and Starfire instead of switching back and forth between Gotham and Jump City. The next chapter will be all about Raven, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and a special appearance by a villain we all love to hate. I can't wait to write Chapter 12! I've been planning it since day one so this might take a while to post since I want it to be just as I envisioned it.

Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing my story and encouraging me to continue! It's been a HUGE help! And also, a big thanks to **bittersweetbeats **for being my editor!


	12. Chapter 12

Raven muffled a scream as the blood continued to pour from the gashes she drew into her flesh. Each stab tore her apart, but her mind pushed her forward and she continued with her insane act. The cold touch of the blade seemed to wash away a bit her fear, but its icy feel brought about a tugging within her heart.

As she moved the bloody dagger to her legs, the symbols on her arms and upper body having been traced, she felt a wave of perplexity wash over her soul. She was at a sudden loss for the motivation behind her actions. What was she doing? What would drawing the blood from these marks do? What had driven her to even do this? Though she questioned the path of her blade, the empath continued to stab each cryptic symbol with burning hatred.

Slowly, she stood, catching herself as she stumbled forward on weak legs. Her hands pressed themselves against the reflective surface of her mirror, her bloody palms staining portions of it red. Sapphire eyes looked up and gazed into the red orbs of the raven that adorned the top of her mirror; the bird seemed to match perfectly with her weapon of sacrifice.

As her eyes fell to look directly into the surface of what was before her, her face became distorted in deep anger. She looked at the dark lines below her eyes, her lack of sleep allowing her fatigue to show through, and the blood that stained her skin did nothing to calm her nerves. The picture she gazed into, she concluded, was one she abhorred.

"What have I become?" Raven whispered softly as her voice began to break in the presence of unshed tears. "My God…look at me! Why must I be this? Why am I such a filthy, disgusting…"

She could not finish her words for the ending of her sentence came when her gaze became fixed on the mocking symbol that glowed on her forehead. Feeling something snap within her subconscious, the half demon gripped the dagger tighter in her right hand, ignoring the surge of pain that flew up her arm, and thrust its point in the mirror.

To her surprise the glass did not fall apart instantly, instead it simply cracked and the slices grew slowly across the surface. As Raven continued to look at herself, she saw an image she was sure she would never forget. Staring back at her was something she feared more than her father. It was fear itself. Her reflection began to morph before her very eyes and when it finished, it was none other than the image of the sorceress, but much older, as young, long-haired adult. The girl appeared to have tears streaming down from her right eye and her left orb was the image of her father as it split in two and turned crimson.

Raven threw the dagger to the ground and covered her right eye, watching closely as her reflection did the same to the left, hiding the eerie glow of her demonic soul. Her left hand reached forward, its fingers grazing the mirror, touching the image of her human side's hand. As the dark girl tried to decipher the vision she was living, a sudden hit of sense jarred her thoughts.

Before her very eyes was the blood from within her. The crying girl was her human half, the part of her she declared weak, the part of her that feared would cause her to falter, and the red eyes that glared at her were none other than a symbol of her demon blood that brought her nothing but pain and haunted her every dream. Her fingers fell from the mirror, leaving a train of blood behind and as the truth behind the image became clear to her, the mirror finally shattered.

Bending to the floor, the shaken girl lifted the dagger once more, contemplating whether or not she should carve the mark on her forehead as well. She raised the blade to eye level and was suddenly shocked to see in its reflective surface silent tears streaming down her stained cheeks. There was a ghastly image of fear and guilt ridden within her face, which brought her to question what she was about to do.

"What's the matter, Raven? Have you finally accepted your fear?"

The Titan jumped to her feet, the distant voice having caught her off guard. Though she tried to keep her balance, the burning pain in her legs overtook her strength and chained her to the floor as she collapsed in the mess of her cape and spilling blood. She had just enough power to lift her head and meet eyes with the intruder.

Slade.

"Lost your will to stand, have you? Pity, I always thought you would put up more of a fight," the masked man laughed. "Why so angry? I'm not the one who's brought you this pain. If I remember correctly, I believe it was you who dragged that dagger down your body."

"W-what do you want?" Raven managed to say as she suppressed her pain, ignoring the feel of blood seeping out between her clenched teeth and down her chin.

Slade let a shallow laugh echo from his mask as her knelt down in front of the defeated girl. Grasping the fallen dagger, he traced to demon mark painted around her chakra stone, taking pleasure in seeing her face grow dark in anguish. He drew his face closer to her so that the open slits at the bottom of his shielded face were near her ear.

"I've come to reveal your secret."

Beast Boy lunged forward, sweat pouring down his face as he heaved out heavy breaths. The sound of smashing glass merged with the subtle whispers of Slade's dark voice was enough to throw the boy into a world of terror.

"Was that a dream?" he spoke softly.

Before he was able to answer his own question, the sound of Raven's pained speech filled his ears. A sudden panic twisted his heart and in an instant, the Titan was on his feet, racing out of his room and down the ice cold hallway, wobbling slightly as he managed to throw on his boots in mid flight.

The dark grey door came into view and as Beast Boy tried to stop, his boots screeched against the floor and he soon lost his balance. Disregarding his humiliating charge of heroism, the green boy jumped to his feet and pressed his ear against the door.

"No!" he heard Raven shout just above a whisper and at hearing her voice, the changeling could feel the agony within her.

"You knew it would happen one day. You knew you couldn't keep it from them forever," Slade's menacing voice mocked behind the walls. "It's time they see your true face."

Beast Boy couldn't stand it any longer. That villain was tearing the poor girl apart and he would not allow it to continue. Without even bothering with the code pad on the wall, the boy transformed into a rhino and knocked down the thick door with his prominent horn. It seemed almost planned, for when the door gave way, it flew straight into Slade and knocked the evil apparition far from the helpless girl before him.

"Get away from her!"

Raven's shocked orbs flew from Slade's mangled body to where Beast Boy stood, now in human form with his eyes burning red with fury. She tried to lift herself, but a ghastly pain strangled her slowly, causing her face to fall and a broken scream to escape her blood covered lips. The empath cursed herself as she felt her companion's anger be replaced by concern and from that, she knew his guard was down.

"You're a fool!"

Beast Boy turned toward the sound only to see Slade's gloved fist collide with his face. The Titan could feel a trail of blood seep from the corner of his lips and yet he could not sense the sting of pain that should have been racking his mind. His breath slowed to what sounded like deep growls as he pushed himself from the floor.

"I'm a fool? You're the one who broke in here! You're the one who didn't think anyone would notice! Well, I've got news for you, Slade," the green boy spat as he barred his fangs. "I'm gonna tear you apart!"

The villain's eye widened, but before he could manage to summon his fiery energy, the young warrior had already pinned him to the ground, vengeance boiling in his emerald pools. Slade merely laughed as he took pleasure in seeing how insane he had driven the boy who now appeared as nothing more than a beast.

"Don't laugh. Don't laugh!" Beast Boy shouted as he let his rage take over his body.

Slowly, the seemingly harmless boy began to grow, his fangs reaching below his chin, eyes growing white, and his body became covered in fur. A deadly howl escaped the monster's lungs and its familiar call trapped Raven's fading attention. The dark girl was not sure whether she should rejoice or damn her hope as her eyes became fixed on the image of the creature her green friend had tried so hard to suppress. What the boy had labeled his "Beast Within" had finally broken loose.

It became clear to Raven that her friend no longer had control of himself as she watched his thick claws tear at Slade's uniform. Though she found it odd that no blood sprayed from the victim's body, her mind was far more concerned for Beast Boy than the inner working's of Slade's reborn shell. Ignoring the screams of her bloody form, Raven called upon her powers and propelled herself forward, smacking right into the crazed beast.

"S-stop it," she whispered, blood flying from her lips. "Please! Enough!"

It was as if the girl's voice had become a light, for as she let the words escape her mouth, the boy became calm. He was suddenly aware of her arms around his neck as his form began to morph back to normal, his mind becoming soothed by the feel of the sorceress' breath across his ear. Beast Boy turned his head to the side and gazed at his fallen friend, taking in the horrid image of her face as it was stained in red and scarred with hollow eyes. He was not forced to bare witness to the sight for very long, for Raven lost the remains of her strength and let her head fall, trying with all that her will could sustain to keep her from slipping into unconsciousness.

A pang of realization hit him. Where was Slade? The boy's eyes darted to the floor beneath him. Nothing. He soon became frantic, turning his head around from side to side, desperate to find the image of their lost enemy and yet all was in vain. Slade was gone.

Letting his mind forget the dark menace, Beast Boy turned his attention to his bleeding friend. He brought down his left shoulder, carefully catching Raven as she fell in front of him. As he cradled her fragile form in his lap, his face paled. Her entire body was drenched in blood.

"Raven! What the Hell happened?"

The empath could not summon the words to speak, her throat tightening with an unmanageable sense of pain, and yet her voice was no longer needed. Pale sunlight filtered through the dark room's window, casting an eerie glow on a misplaced item lying upon the floor. Beast Boy reached for it, lifting its cool surface to his face and let the horror sink into his skin. His eyes became full with disbelief as he stared at the image of a dagger.

"You…"

"N-no," Raven managed to cough out. "It's not what you think."

"Not what I think? Then what is it, Rae? This thing is covered in blood and so are you! What else could it be?"

"I…I don't know…"

Beast Boy's eyes flashed. The dark Titan below him flinched inwardly at the sight, her hazy mind unable to tell if his emotions were steering toward anger or concern.

"Don't give me that, Rae!" he whispered as his voice broke. The changeling brought her into a tight embrace, careful not to place his hands on any of her gashes. "Why?"

As she lay helpless in his arms, Raven let a sigh graze against her savior's neck, feeling his body shudder at the touch. She closed her eyes, but she was forced to reopen them when she noticed a constant shaking rippling through the boy's from. Before she could manage any words of concern, Raven felt a cold touch of water on her back. He was crying.

"Why would you try to kill yourself? I don't get it, Raven! Tell me why!"

The girl winced as he moved her, his tear-flooded eyes stabbing at her damaged face. "I told you…it's not what you think." The words came as a challenge for her, but she pressed on. "I can't die like this. It's impossible."

"I don't understand…"

"I'm a half demon, Beast Boy….I can't bleed to death. My body…creates blood four times faster than humans…so any lost blood is easily replaced."

The green boy shook his head. "Then why would even bother to do this?"

Raven leaned her head against Beast Boy's chest, no longer grasping the will to stay conscious without support. As the sound of his steady heart beat helped to deafen her pain, she raised her left hand to touch his face, her bloody fingers drifting his head down in her direction.

"I thought I could make it all go away…I thought I could cut those…damn symbols out of…my flesh for good….but I was wrong. It was all…just a trap. Slade had planned this…from the moment…he left that…dagger behind."

"Raven, please! Stop talking in riddles," the young Titan begged as his minded struggled with her broken speech. "Symbols? What symb- oh my God! When they left – when Robin and Starfire left – that thing on your forehead really _was_ a mark!" He pushed her body away from him as if he had been burned, but the dark girl soon realized he had only let go of her in order to gaze upon the red painted mess she had become. "All of these things – they were all symbols like Slade's?"

Beast Boy's heart shattered as he watched her head nod slowly, crying out with her as tears streamed down to merge with the bloody rivers across her cheeks. Though he had so many more questions he longed to ask her, the boy could not find the strength to speak. He simply embraced the girl tightly, crying with her as his mind screamed out for her pain and his confusion. His grip only tightened as he felt her soul finally give in and fall away, her body collapsing in the presence of darkness which carried her to a much needed rest.

A/N: Okay, I'm back! Originally this chapter was going to be much longer, but I really like this ending. So that means there will be two chapters dedicated to Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg (he shows up in the next chapter). dodges flying food Sorry! You have to realize Robin and Starfire are pretty beaten up so they'll be unconscious for a while. That gives me time to move things along with Raven. I promise you'll see a lot more of Robin and Starfire starting in Chapter 14.

If there are a lot of spelling and gramatical errors, please tell me and I'll take down the chapter to fix them. I'm stupid and forgot to give this to my editor (bittersweetbeats). Also, I just saw The End Parts 1-3 (jaw dropping awesome!) because I'm a cheat and I downloaded them from Canada, so I might be brave and incorporate some of that into the story if I plan to bring this little tale of mine to the point where Trigon enters the scene. I still haven't really decided where in the Trigon/Raven Arc this story is going to end.


	13. Chapter 13

The sound of familiar beeping echoed against the walls of Titans Tower as the chilled air appeared to only make the noise louder. Though it was well into the afternoon, the silence was unbroken and the two Titans who were generally so lively were now sulking as they watched for any signs of life from their pale companion.

Nothing.

She had been in a trance for several hours, hopefully healing herself. Cyborg had seemingly given up on treating her apart from wrapping her body in thick layers of gauze after a few basic disinfectant procedures. With empath in the state she was in, the robot knew time would heal her. He simply took to monitoring her stats while she remained hovering a few inches above the infirmary bed, her eyes closed in peaceful concentration.

Beast Boy was a different story. He had refused to give up on the dark girl, finding it ridiculous to believe there was nothing they could do to help her. As the hours washed away, he sat there without a word; his head rested at her bedside as his mind prayed she would open her blue eyes once more.

It was Beast Boy's eerie silence that kept Cyborg from asking the changeling what had happened to Raven. He knew the boy would tell him in time. He would have to be patient. Not bother to argue with his green friend about leaving the dark girl to rest alone, the synthetic Titan shut the door behind him, knowing full well that Beast Boy would alert him when Raven woke up. For now, he went to the T-Car in an attempt to get his mind off the present crashes of worry that seemed to be playing games with his mind.

Beast Boy checked his watch. 3:31 PM. Raven was still out cold. The young boy's curious eyes searched the room for any sign of life. Nothing. He was alone with his thoughts. Flashes of the previous hours' occurrence came flooding back to him as his wandering orbs became fixed on Raven's amethyst locks; they were still crusted with blood. The longer he started, the more time he spent in the past, reliving the terrifying images of the girl's mangled body, and yet he couldn't decide what was worse: Seeing her in such pain, dyed red, or watching her drift away in silence while cloaked in white.

Before he could ponder any further, Raven slowly lowered her body to the bed, eyes still closed. A few moments passed before blue broke the day and her eyes met with emerald pools watching over her.

"Beast Boy?" she uttered just below a whisper.

"I'm here, Rae." Beast Boy gave a long sigh of relief as he reached slowly for the empath's left hand and caressed the silky skin of her fingers.

The dark girl let her hand rest in his for a brief moment, too tired to pull away from his gentle touch. Her eyes never left his even when he took the opportunity to stare down at the part of her that was grazing his own skin.

'_Why is he being so kind to me? After everything I've done to him…'_ Raven's thoughts were interrupted by a violent vision that clouded her mind.

_She was suddenly face to face with Robin. Rain fell from the sky as she watched the boy be beaten mercilessly by a shadow in a red cape. Blow after blow brought nothing but pains of agony and rivers of blood from the helpless Titan as the battle raged on. Having been thrown to the ground, Robin struggled to his feet and staggered over to where Raven watched. His masked eyes met her gaze before he collapsed on top of her._

'_I love you…' his voice chocked as he pressed his blood covered lips over hers for a brief moment before going limp._

_Raven screamed out his name in terror when she felt his body fail and yet, her fear was soon shifted toward a strange animal flying toward her. It took her only a few moments to name its face as a distant lightening bolt illuminated its silhouette._

_It was a bat._

"Raven!"

Beast Boy's shrill voice awakened her from the short-lived nightmare. Raven's eyes drew into focus, causing the changeling's blurred image in her mind to become washed with the details of concern and fear.

"What happened, Rae?"

The empath continued her stare a few moments longer before fighting against her body to sit up. Suppressing a yelp of pain as waves of sheer torture flared within her muscles, Raven slid off the bed.

"I…I had a vision," she stuttered, gripping her head as the sting reached her mind. She felt the warmth of Beast Boy's arms surround her as he helped her to her feet and walk slowly toward the door. "It was…about Robin."

The changeling cringed inwardly at the sound of their leader's name. A series of images played in his eyes as guilt seeped into his skin as he remembered the moments he had eavesdropped on the two dark Titans during their last moment of strained affection.

"He..he's hurt. We…need to call him…and make sure he's okay." Raven waited a few seconds before lifting an intense gaze to meet Beast Boy's concerned emerald eyes. "I couldn't see Starfire."

Though her words had frightened him, his heart began to race for a much different reason. Slowly, he came to realize he was not mesmerized by the darkness she spoke of, but rather the shadowy beauty that was unharmed by her agony ridden eyes. Her sapphire pools had not lost their luster, her lips, though chapped, were still alluring, and her pale, blood-splashed skin was still soft as his fingers carefully caressed the part of her side her tore uniform had left open. He felt her squirm at the light touch and yet that only propelled him to continue.

'_What the Hell am I doing?'_ Beast Boy shouted in his mind as he tore his eyes away from the injured girl to properly open the door for her. She struggled without his support at first, but the moment she had passed out of the doors range, he reached for her, allowing a soft smile to graze his lips. _'She finally shows she likes someone else and then I suddenly fall head-over-heels for her? Great timing, Beast Boy.' _Curiosity won over his thoughts as he stole a quick glance at Raven. Her eyes were noticeably worn; the skin surrounding them was smeared with the black shadows of missing sleep, which seemed to blend perfectly with the blotches of blood still drawing designs on her skin. _'Geez, even with all those cuts, she's still gorgeous. Wait…what? What am I saying? Even if I do like her, it doesn't matter…she has Robin."_

"Garfield…what troubles you?"

"Wh-what?" Beast Boy was thrown from his battle at the sound of Raven's calming monotone gently calling his real name. His eyes met hers again and he quickly searched for any trace of sarcasm hidden behind them. He found none. "Did…did you just call me-?"

"Your other name wasn't…calling your attention…back."

"Oh," the green boy muttered as he flushed in embarrassment. "Umm, nothing's wrong, if that's what you were asking. I was just…thinking."

Before Raven could open her mouth to pry further, Cyborg came walking down the hall in their direction, a goofy smile clearly painted across his dark features. It was obvious to the empath that any more questions at this point would simply awaken the interest of their cybernetic friend and that was not what the girl was hoping to accomplish.

"Well, I see your both up and about," Cyborg cheered, his grin evidently fake as he came closer. "How about we go in the kitchen and get ourselves a bunch of hot, steamy, mouth-watering, strawberry-topped waffles?

"The amount of time…and thought…that it takes for you to….describe a food snack…is simply disturbing."

Beast Boy let out a soft chuckle as he rejoiced at the sound of Raven's harsh sarcastic humor making itself known. Even though she had been a bloody mess just a few hours ago, the dark Titan had not given up the opportunity to crack a snide remark when it was deemed appropriate.

Cyborg's face dropped to a playful glare. "S'cuse me! Seems someone's still got a nasty tongue despite all that treatment I gave 'er."

"Oh, leave her alone, Cy. She might give you a mentally controlled super wedgie with her powers if you're not careful."

The giant laughed as he began to walk on ahead. "Sorry, BB, that's somethin' only you have to worry about cuz one, Rae can stand me more than she can you, two, I don't wear clothes, and three…well…three's not important."

The simple sounds of joy the three were flourishing in did not last. As the hours strolled by and the day gave way to night, Cyborg and Beast Boy lost their smiles as Raven sat nearby, sipping a warm cup of her herbal tea. The changeling eyed his passive friend with curiosity as she grew nervous in the presence of the rising moon.

"Raven," Cyborg started slowly. "What happened to you? I mean, it's not every day BB comes runnin' after me with you in his arms, not to mention the fact that you were both covered in blood."

"It…it was nothing."

Beast Boy glared at Raven for her failed excuse and began to search the pockets of his uniform. Grasping something cold, the boy brought it out from his left side and handed it to Cyborg, its familiar image causing tremors of fear to pass through Raven as she looked on only for a brief moment.

"She used that to hurt herself." He waited for Cyborg's eye to lose its intial shock before he continued. "Slade was in her room."

Raven's mind, though shaken by the words flying past her, was now focused merely on the moon and its ascent. Her arms began to burn through the bandages and though the ache made her wish to tear the disgusting wraps of white from her, she was hoping they would somehow keep the symbols of her birth hidden from view. She was wrong.

Before Cyborg could open his mouth to question the empath, Raven jumped to her feet as an overwhelming sense of pain racked her body, causing her to cry out. Beast Boy stood to help her, but the girl would not allow him near.

"Stay back!" she shouted as a flicker of power shot from her chakra uncontrolled, throwing the changeling into a nearby wall.

Torn between which injured Titan to run to, Cyborg stood frozen. He watched Raven slowly sink into the floor, and he made no move to stop her, the scare of her unwinding power still fresh in his mind and circuits. Once she was gone, the robot moved quickly to Beast Boy.

"Are you alright, man?"

"Dammit!" the young boy shouted as he moved into a sitting position. "Why does she always do that when we try to help?"

"Don't worry man; we'll get it out of her eventually."

Darkness filled every corner of the cave, blending well with the damp cold that hung in the air. Sounds of something dripping filled the fallen boy's slightly conscious mind as he lay there with his back resting against some soft material he could not name. His eyes were still closed as he lifted himself.

"I see you're finally awake."

Robin's head turned swiftly to the direction of the noise before the echo concealed it. His shielded eyes opened and struggled to focus against the consummate darkness. As the moments flew by, he succeeded in cutting through the unseen light. He recognized the approaching figure all too well. Anger seeped into his voice as he sat there, staring with glaring eyes.

"Batman…"

**A/N: **Wooo! Another chapter done. Chapter 14 will focus more on the Robin, Starfire, and Batman side of the fanfic. I'll be pushing that side of the plot along to sorta catch up with how far along the BB, Cy, and Rae portion of the story as gotten. I've decided not to follow the show's episodes. I may include some ideas, but the way these ideas and scenes come about will be of my own making. Hopefully this fanfic will end with a similar in concept ending to the Raven Arc of the show...I think I have an ending in mind already.

One more thing: **STOP BASHING THE PAIRINGS!**

I am really sick of reading reviews that only say _OMG!11311! I want rob/RAe! _or _DUDE! Rob/Ray sucks!#!#141! BB/Rae is teh rox!._ I'll pair up whoever ends up together. The characters control this story and wherever the plots leads them, and with whomever they are drawn toward, that is how I write them. If you don't like it, tough!


	14. Chapter 14

Old memories surfaced, seemingly consuming Richard Grayson as his masked eyes gazed at the familiar walls of the Batcave. Everything was just as he remembered it. The occasional chirp of a nearby bat brought comfort to him in the cold, the beeping of security sensors beat out a warming song; as his gaze shifted to his previous master, the young boy was slightly shocked to see what the man was standing before.

Robin pushed himself off the bed he had been placed in and walked slowly toward the dark knight. Old arguments flashed before his eyes, the sound of their voices merging into a raving shout as their differences broke free. The Titan blinked rapidly to erase the tarnished memories before turning his gaze to the glass case next to his old partner.

It was his Robin suit.

"You still have that old thing?" the boy whispered without gazing at the man next to him.

"Consider it a sort of memorial, a tribute to you to commemorate the justice we brought to Gotham together."

Robin laughed. Batman hadn't changed a bit, he still had a hint of philosophy behind his words, his voice was still dark and intimidating, and he was still the same old packrat when it came to memories of the past.

"Haven't found a new sidekick yet?" Robin spoke as his voice took a hint of mockery.

"I work with the Justice League," the man solemnly murmured. "For now, there is no need for a Robin in Gotham City."

A knot formed in the raven-haired teen as Batman's words sunk in. Though the comment was only meant to state a fact, Robin couldn't help but feel as if his pride was being torn apart. The sensations of being unneeded, inadequate, and undermined were all too familiar to him. He had to find some way of diverting to flow of their conversation.

"Where is Starfire?" the boy muttered coldly.

Batman sighed before turning and walking away, his black cape flowing behind him. Robin followed the man's path with his eyes and soon realized the knight was aiming to sit before his main computer system. Insignificant. Unwanted. That was all Robin could feel as Batman took a seat with his back to the boy.

"I had Alfred take care of her once your condition worsened," the dark warrior's voice resonated. "She hasn't regained consciousness, but her wounds are healing nicely. She should make a full recovery in a few days. She's in the first room on the left side of the hall."

Robin didn't even say a word before allowing his steel-toed boots to carry him down the corridors of the cave. The familiarity of the walls blanketed him once more as the sound of the bats stabbed at his heart. No matter how much he tried to deny it once he had left, the boy truly had missed this place. Taking a deep breath, the memory-stricken boy opened the door to where Starfire was said to be.

"Master Grayson, it has been awhile. How are you?" a soothing voice sounded.

Robin smiled; he had always been fond of Alfred and the old man's kindness. The butler had been a good friend to him, one who held the compassion Bruce Wayne had seemingly lost, and thus, Alfred had become a sort of grandfather figure in the teen's life. He was certainly one of the reasons Robin missed Gotham so much.

"I've been better, Alfred," Robin laughed as he approached the bed, his eyes gazing at Starfire's sleeping form. "How is she?"

The old man sighed, his eyes wrinkling in sadness before he spoke. "She was quite a mess when Master Wayne brought you here. It took a good few hours to get her all patched up, but we still don't know when she'll be regaining consciousness. I guess that's up to her."

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost two days," a deep voice spoke in the darkness.

Robin turned to see Batman in the door way; the white slits of makeshift eyes in the dark mask gazed intensely into the boy's shielded orbs. Batman's choice of costume had always given Robin a case of the chills, especially when the man became angry. The deep contrast of the white eyes and black face was enough to quicken his breath.

Suddenly a thought came to his mind. What had happened to his attacker? All he remembered seeing with his blurred vision was Red X arch backward before falling to the ground and then, to his left, was Batman's ominous silhouette painted against the rising sun. What had Batman done?

"You're wondering about your little opponent, aren't you?"

Robin let out a slight huff. "Your foresight hasn't changed a bit. What happened to Red X?"

Batman remained silent. The echoing stillness brought the Titan to fear the worst about the battle, knowing full well his old friend never cared to discuss matters of death. No. Robin refused to believe it. Red X would see them again, he was sure of it. It was ridiculous to assume the cloaked pawn has been crushed, that their only means of locating Slade had been torn apart. Batman would know better, wouldn't he? Then again, the shadowy hero didn't know anything about Slade or Red X, did he?

"You…you killed him, didn't you?"

"Master Grayson, why don't we step outside? You've just woken up from quite a beating; there's no need to get your mind all worked up so soon," Alfred said quickly, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder in an attempt to persuade him to leave Bruce be and possibly destroy the tension that was building dangerously in the room.

"Answer me, Bruce!"

"He had a batarang lodged in is spine when I left him on the streets," Bruce muttered softly as he turned to leave the room. "I didn't kill him, but that doesn't mean I saved him."

Robin's eyes grew wide. Their only chance was now left for dead. Everything he and Starfire had traveled for, had fought for, was wasted. Even though Batman had said Red X had not died instantly from the impact, there was no doubt in the Titan's mind that his enemy was surely dead by now. Battered, bloody, and left to die in the streets had been Red X's timeless end.

"You killed him!" the boy shouted as he dashed after Batman, ignoring Alfred's voice as the butler tired to call him back. "Dammit, Batman! Why did you do it? Why did you kill him?"

Bruce stopped walking as the shouts echoed in his mind. Robin was still so naïve, even after so many years of being a partner and then his own leader. Yet, there was still a spark of curiosity in Batman's thoughts as there must surely be a reason for Robin's desperation.

"He was ready to finish you off, I simply stopped him before-" Batman's attention was caught by the sound of swift feet behind him. Turning quickly, the masked man reached out and grabbed a glove fist as it neared his face. Looking down at his would-be attacker, Bruce was not surprised to see a familiar green glove caged in his tight grip.

"You didn't have to kill him!" Robin spat through clenched teeth.

"And what would you have had me do? Let him kill you? You're being arrogant, Robin, think before you lash out with your loose fists. This Red X of yours wasn't going to hold back! You know that! I saved your life and all you have to say is a series of thickheaded complaints. I guess being the leader of your own team has taught you nothing in the long run."

The black haired boy was thrown to the ground violently at the end of Batman's speech. Tears threatened to seep past the edges of Robin's mask as the images of his friends and enemies haunted his mind in the rhythm of Batman's retreating steps. Red X was gone, Slade was now even further from his reach, Starfire was badly hurt, and now, despite how much he longed to continue hoping, he had seemingly lost his way of helping Raven.

"I'm sorry," his voice cracked. "God…I'm sorry….Raven."

Batman froze. He was not sure whether it had been Robin's unusual display of defeat or the mentioning of a recognizable name that had stalled his feet. He turned slowly to face his fallen protégée, only to find himself being watched by Alfred's warning eyes.

"The young Miss is awake, Master Bruce."

The dark knight nodded his head in understanding, keeping his eyes fixed on Robin's form as it rose from its pitiful state on the floor. Flashes of young girl flew before the man's eyes as he followed the Teen Titan into Starfire's room. Flares of blue, purple, and grey clouded his vision as the memories came flooding back to him in the portrait of the cloaked girl he had bmet so long ago. He not only knew this girl Robin had mentioned; he could never forget her.

Seemingly oblivious to the warm sounds of greeting between Robin and Starfire, Batman walked toward his butler. Alfred had a warm smile stretched across his face as he watched the young ones embrace and exchange words of relief, but his happy demeanor soon fell as he noticed the lost expression plaguing Bruce's visible features.

"Alfred, I need you to contact the Justice League. Tell them I'll be bringing two guests."

The old man nodded. "Consider it done, sir," he whispered before exiting the room rather quickly.

The dark man took in a deep breath before turning his attention to the Titans in front of him. He took a few steps forward, pressing his feet loudly against the stone floor in order to make the teens aware of his presence. Once he had acquired their attention, he focused his gaze on his old partner.

"Robin, I don't know why you're back in Gotham, but if it has something to do with Raven, then I suggest you come with me to see the Justice League. They can help you more than I can."

The boy played with his mask, his gloved fingertips caressing the outer edges as his gaze was firmly planted on Batman. In contrast to Starfire's confusion, Robin appeared calm and content with his master's statement. He would have to explain to his companion the bond between the dark fighters of Jump City and Gotham.

"We're after a crazed psychopath who ravaged Jump City a few years ago." Robin's voice was steady as he spoke, his eyes never leaving their target even as he helped Starfire out of bed. "He's your basic criminal mastermind, plans the assaults, has his own army to do the dirty work for him; but things are different now. We saw him fall into a pit of lava two years ago, but somehow, he survived. He goes by the name of Slade."

Batman seemed lost in thought for a moment as he searched through the recesses of his mind for possible familiarity. None was found. He had no idea who this Slade character was. Hearing Robin clear his throat, the dark knight looked down, his eyes coming into view with a video tape in the boy's outstretched hand. Taking hold of it, the bat walked out of the room with the Titans close behind him.

"This is the Batman?" Starfire's quiet curiosity reached out as they continued their walk through the damp cave.

"Yes. If Slade's been in Gotham, Batman would be the first to know. Don't ask me how; just trust me on that one." For the first time since he had awoken from his injured state, Robin's voice held no anger as he spoke of the dark man before him. Rather than allowing poison to seep into his speech, a light of reverence took flight. Despite their difference, Robin knew a part of him still admired Bruce Wayne for all he could do.

"How does he know of Raven?"

Robin was jarred from his reflections as Starfire continued her constant inquiries. Though he had hoped her recent question would have been held off until later, he knew he could not deny her an explanation. Throughout the five years of being a team, neither Robin nor Raven had spoken the truth of their meeting. Each member only knew that it had been the two dark fighters who had brought about the team and that was enough to keep them satisfied. The new Titans had learned quickly never to delve into Raven's past or ask too many questions and that Robin would inform them of anything that was truly important; everything else was just unneeded information.

The dark teen was uncomfortable revealing anything about Raven without his companion bird's approval, but to gain full cooperation from the Tamaranian, Robin knew he had to bend the rules a bit.

"Raven came to Gotham City when she first arrived on Earth," he started. "That's where she met Batman. I'll…I'll tell you the rest a little bit later, okay?"

The alien nodded as she squinted her eyes, the powerful lights of Batman's computers too sudden a shift from darkness for her to handle. She was soon captivated by familiar scenes of Slade unleashing his electrical fury in the factory, causing every machine nearby to collapse. She was nearly lost to her memory before her mind was shaken by a sudden shout. At the sound of Robin's voice, Batman froze the tape on a clip of Slade's mask, his mysterious red mark in full view.

"I've never seen this man before," Bruce's voice echoed as he kept his back to them. "He's not in Gotham, I can assure you, but you're welcome to ask the JLA for advice. They might know where he is if he's not here. I suggest you get some rest, we'll be leaving early tomorrow."

Robin nodded before leading Starfire down a different corridor and toward the exit of the cave. Before they stepped into the elevator, the dark Titan paid one last glance at his old friend, letting the flashbacks of their battles with Gotham and each other sink fully into his mind. He sighed, content with his bitterness for the cloaked superhero finally fading completely into the back of his mind.

Alfred was waiting for them by the passage into the mansion, a gentle smile wrinkling the edges of his mouth. There was not a word spoken between the three as they journeyed up the extensive staircase to the bedchambers. The butler led the two young warriors to Robin's old room, its vast size suitable for at least two people.

Starfire quickly made herself at home as she took to throwing herself face first onto the soft cushioned mattress, a mountain of pillows falling over her in the process. Robin couldn't suppress a laugh as he watched the bubbly girl express her happiness to be out of the dark recesses of Batman's lair. He knew she would have rather stayed in Wayne Manor than the Batcave. Starfire was one who enjoyed the warmth of light; Raven, Robin reflected, would have been one to join him with his master.

"Will that be all, Master Grayson?" the butler's kind voice questioned.

"Yeah, thanks Alfred," Robin smiled as he tried in vain to subdue a yawn.

The old man chuckled lightheartedly at the boy's visible attempt to still act strong in time of weakness. The young sidekick had not changed one bit since he had last been in Gotham City so many years before.

"It's a pleasure to have you back home, young master."

Robin watched as Alfred retreated down the staircase on light feet. His eyes then took to staring at the intricate carvings that lined the walls and ceiling, the grand chandeliers that hung down in smooth curves of glistening light, the paintings the grazed the surface of nearly every room in sight. It was all so comforting to him.

"Home," he whispered. "I'm home."

**A/N: **I had fun writing a chapter about Batman and Alfred seeing as I just saw Batman Begins for the second time. I hope I kept them in character well enough. Ummm, before you any of you ask, I'm gonna explain how old the Titans are:

I see Raven as being 18 in this fanfic. I don't really care too much for the Sweet 16 Dooms Day idea, so Birthmark happened on her 18th B-Day in my mind. It works in the show for it being her 16th birthday since she doesn't look that much older than that age, but she acts older than that in my story. Robin is 19, Starfire is 17 since she acts younger than Raven, Cyborg would be around 20, and Beast Boy would be no younger than 16.

They've been a team for 5 years, so you can configure their ages back then. I presume Beast Boy and Terra were together for almost 1 year before she betrayed him, and I see the seasons as lasting about one year in length. Slade dies in Season 2 and this fanfic is in Season 4, so 2 years. I personally see Season 1 as being the second year the Titans were together so that's why I said they've been a team for 5 years, not 4.

I hope that makes sense...if you have a better vision of their ages, don't let my reasoning stop you. Next chapter will be centered around Robin, Starfire, and the JLA. BB, Rae, and Cy will get their fair share of scenes once Chapter 16 roles around most likely. Thanks for reading and comments are always appreciated!


	15. Chapter 15

The hours of the night continued to tick on as life in Wayne Manor remained active in the dormant features of time. A subdued sound of chirping echoed in the distance as moonlight danced across the floor of the mansion's many rooms. To the ignorant ear, it was the song of birds that filled the air, but for Robin, who lay awake in his bed, it was the mark of his past.

Bats.

"Robin," a soft voice called beside him. "You are awake?"

The boy sighed. "Yeah. What do you need, Starfire?"

There was a slight pause before the dark Titan felt the mattress sink and rise in sync with the ruffling of sheets. Robin turned his head to the left, his masked eyes coming into contact with pondering emerald pools. Before the girl could utter another word, the leader was confident he knew what she was going to say.

"I wish to know of Raven and the Batman," Starfire whispered softly. "It is apparent that they have met prior to the forming of our team. You promised that you would inform me later. Now is later, correct?"

Robin laughed at her childish curiosity. "I guess I _do _owe you an explanation. You're not tired, are you?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Because I never like explaining things twice," the boy began. "It all started when Raven first came to Earth. She left her home world and came to Gotham City, the place where her mother was born. She never told me why she left Azarath, all I know is that she wanted to help people. While trying to take care of a few thugs around downtown, Batman spotted her. Supposedly, he told Raven there was someone in Jump City who needed her help more than he did."

Starfire's eyes lit up with realization. "It was you he was referring to?"

"Yes. So, Raven took his advice and found me. You know the basics of the rest from there."

The alien's mind sifted through the chapters of the story she had been told. She knew Robin would not continue; the leader had never once delved into the details of how he met the mysterious girl, nor did he wish to, thus, Starfire would not ask him. Though Robin seemed to be content believing the story, the Tamaranian was having doubts. To her, something didn't add up properly with what Batman had said to them earlier.

"If that is so," the girl spoke. "Then why does the Justice League also contain an in depth knowing of Raven?"

Robin moved his lips to speak, but suddenly halted his voice. Starfire had struck upon an obvious note the leader had seemingly overlooked. The silence became suffocating as the dark teen tried desperately to find a logical solution to the naïve girl's question. Surely what he knew was all there was to the truth. There was no secret being held, was there?

"I'm sure Batman told the JLA about her, Star," Robin coughed as he tried desperately to cover up his made up excuse. "It's not every day a telekinetic empath comes flying into Gotham City. Now, let's get some sleep. You'll learn everything you want to know about Raven and Batman when we meet the Justice League in the morning."

They bade each other good night and closed their eyes, hoping the new day would come soon. The unknown of Raven's past was a menace. Robin was already starting to feel its eerie affects tear away at him. He had spent his whole life solving mysteries and fighting off crime and yet, when it came to the cloaked girl, he hadn't a clue what to make of her.

His mind drifted back to when they had first met. He had thought her to be evil and had attacked her of all things. Now, she was the most powerful member of a peace team. How ironic. A yawn muffled the dark leader's thoughts as his mind begged for rest. He caved in, knowing full well he would have to explain his meeting with Raven to the Justice League in the morning. There was no point in dwelling on it now.

He shifted slightly in the night clothes Bruce had lent him, inhaling the familiar scent. With his R-Cycle gone, their luggage had been inevitably trapped in the explosion, leaving them with no clothing or food for the rest of their journey. Batman's appearance had been a convenience to say the least despite the fact that Robin hated depending so much on his old friend. He let out a deep sigh. Even with the losses they had suffered he was content he had kept the video tape of Slade in his utility belt, which resulted in its survival of Red X's attack. Knowing that, he could rest easier. Sleep called once more and the boy answered, letting his eyes close as images of Slade and Raven filled his tired mind.

The hours ticked by like minutes, there length barely constituting enough time for the weary Titans to be fully rested. As if rebelling against the emerging sunlight, both teens dug their faces further into the comfort of their pillows, but only for a brief moment. The sound of incoming footsteps brought Robin a slight taste of horror as he predicted what was to happen next. He could hear the drapes be fiddled with and then it happened: blinding light came pouring all around as the sun shown through the now uncovered window.

"Forgive me, Master Grayson, but you are being summoned to breakfast," Alfred spoke, a satisfied smile written across his face. "Might I suggest you get cleaned up before coming down? Your hair appears to enjoy sticking out in unnatural directions."

The boy blushed in embarrassment, clamping both hands down on his head to keep his unruly hair at bay. His flustered expression was only deepened at the sound of Starfire giggling along side the soft chuckle of Alfred. He watched as the butler closed the door behind him upon leaving and the moment he was gone, Robin jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom, grabbing his uniform on the way.

"Robin?" he heard a playful voice squeak.

"G-get dressed, Star," the boy stuttered. "We shouldn't keep Bruce waiting."

Their meal seemed to pass by quickly as they ate in silence. Each fighter was thinking of the meeting they were about to take part in, one that would hopefully solve many riddles. With Red X having been finally defeated for good, Robin was counting on the knowledge of the JLA to answer his questions. There was no one else to turn to now.

Once Alfred had cleared the table of their finished dishes, Bruce Wayne stood up and beckoned for the teens to follow him back to the cave. They obeyed without hesitation, giving each other reassuring glances as the stepped into the darkness.

"Where exactly are we meeting them?" Robin called after his old master.

The dark man was nowhere in sight. After a few seconds of silence, his intimidating voice cut through the stillness and reached the ears of the inquirer. The Titan simply assumed his partner was getting dressed into his Batsuit and had decided to do so clear out of sight.

"We'll be traveling to the Watchtower," Batman answered vaguely.

"Please, where is this Watchtower?"

Bruce sighed as he emerged from the shadows. He had forgotten about the girl. She was not familiar with the JLA like Robin was. He would have to make a mental note to fully explain any questions his sidekick asked in order to save himself from her curiosity. The dark knight was not fond of answering too many questions.

"It's on the moon," he replied rather bluntly. "I generally don't go there too often, but now seems like a good time. We'll be using my personal transport tube to make our journey short."

The two followed the older man once more as he led them to their mode of transportation. As Batman worked at the control panel, imputing the correct traveling data, Robin approached him from behind. For a moment, they remained in silence, but the younger boy's mind soon urged him to speak.

"I never understood why they put their headquarters on a different world," he stated, hoping to spark a bit of conversation.

"They have no reason to be stationed in one select city when they aim to help a multitude of places. Unlike them, I remain in Gotham. I still charge myself with the duty of protecting this city from itself," Batman's deep voice responded without emotion.

"Who are we planning on seeing up there?" Robin asked, his interest in the situation getting the best of him.

The dark man let out a grunt of frustration, but decided the question was worth answering. "From what I can tell, you'll see Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Zatanna." Hearing a huff of confusion, Batman continued. "You may not recognize the last name I said; she's not as renowned as the others and has since retired from the league, but I requested her presence. She may be the most important one there for what you want to know."

Satisfied with Batman's explanation of what was ahead, Robin stepped back, standing beside Starfire as they waited for instruction. After a few minutes, a large container behind the Titans flashed, signaling it was ready for use. Listening to the orders given by the older justice fighter, the teens stepped inside, making room for their larger companion and were soon on their way to the Watchtower.

Robin squinted his eyes below his mask; the light fading around him was still too much to bear. As his body adjusted to the new surroundings, he heard the transporter doors open. They were on the moon. His ears picked up Batman's voice as the older man beckoned them to walk. The Titans obeyed and promptly followed him down the vast hallway.

As the trio continued toward the meeting room, Starfire whispered questions into her friend's ear, no longer able to keep them contained.

"We are no longer on the planet Earth, yes?" she asked innocently.

"We're on the moon. This is where the JLA has their group meetings. They keep the building weighed down to the same amount of gravity on Earth and it has built in oxygen generators," Robin responded with no sense of enthusiasm or awe.

"You do not appear content with our being here. Why are you angered?"

The dark boy let a sigh escape his lips as he suppressed uncomfortable emotions. "Don't you remember, Star? The Justice League is the group who called us 'Pretend Heroes'. They may be the only people left who can help us, but that doesn't mean I'm overjoyed to be here."

Starfire simply nodded, allowing herself to reflect on an old memory Robin had brought up. What the boy had spoken was very true. A short while after the Titans had been formed their enemies had quickly taken them down. Though they each had a firm grasp on their powers, except Raven when she was angered, the five teens had yet to understand the meaning of teamwork. Their frequent failures had earned them harsh criticism from their 'superiors'. 'Little Kids in Costumes' and 'Pretend Heroes' were only a few of their nicknames until Robin and Raven began to work the members harder, pushing them toward unity until they were finally a team worthy of fighting in justice.

"We'll keep the introductions brief," Batman's low voice called, interrupting the alien's thoughts. "They already know who you are. The important thing is getting the information you came for."

Robin let out a sour laugh. "Someone's in a bit of a rush. Still not used to fighting on a team?"

The dark man let out a deep huff before punching the access code into the number pad next to the meeting room door. A scanner appeared before him and in a few seconds, his identity was recognized and the chamber opened before them.

They were immediately greeted by a set of bright lights reflecting off the metallic table situated in the center of the room. A well known hero stepped forward, greeting Batman with the same warm voice he used to greet the Titans, stretching out a strong hand to shake theirs. After the man had led the trio to their seats, he indulged in a whispered conversation with the dark member of his team. A black box was placed in the cheerful man's hands before he took his place at the head of the table.

"My friends," the leader began. "This meeting was going to focus mainly on recent news, but it appears we have a more pressing matter to attend to. As you can see, Bruce has asked for Zatanna to meet with us today and has brought two guests with him."

Batman stood, nodding at the Man of Steel as the conversation was turned over to him. "Clark is correct; this meeting is going to be about helping the Teen Titans." He gazed around the room, his eyes passing over The Flash, Green Lantern, Superman, Wonder Woman, and lastly, Zatanna. "You are all mainly acquainted with them, so there is no need for in depth introductions, but for Zatanna's sake, they are Robin and Starfire of the Teen Titans."

Robin took this as his moment to take over; it was obvious to him by now that Zatanna must have left the Justice League before the Titans were formed. That would make her knowledge of recent events extremely limited. Why then was Batman so confident she would be the one with his answers? Shrugging off his thoughts momentarily, he looked over to Starfire, seeing her smile and motion for him to continue. He knew she was eager to here the full truth of what was going on. After clearing his throat, he began.

"Starfire and I traveled to Gotham City in pursuit of a criminal mastermind and his new partner." The teen took to making his point quickly so as not to lose the interest of the league. "After getting a video transmission from the sidekick, I recognized the scenery and the two of us took off immediately, leaving the other Titans to keep watch over Jump City. Both criminals have attacked my team multiple times with damaging affects, and as of this moment, they are after a teammate of ours. I need to know why."

"What's this guy's name?" Green Lantern questioned; the mystery of Robin's conversation was starting to tire him.

The dark boy inhaled deeply. "His sidekick is known as Red X, but we don't have to worry about him. Someone already took care of that," Robin spoke flatly as he stole a hidden glance at his former master behind his mask. "The man we're after is Slade."

In the center of the table, a strange light beam shot upward, morphing into the shape of a screen. Slade's face appeared, frozen on the image Robin had last seen Batman staring at the night before. It was now apparent that the black box he had earlier seen his eerie friend pass along was the video tape Robin had given him in the Batcave. The Titan watched as each person at the table studied the displayed figure before them. The confused looks on many of their faces only served to discourage the boy.

"That's the crazy guy who took over Jump City, right?" The Flash spoke with a curious look creasing his red mask. Seeing Robin nod, he spoke his thoughts again. "I thought that guy died years ago."

"He did, or so we thought," the Titan answered. "We all saw Slade fall into a pit of lava, but somehow he survived. He's back with strange fiery powers and an amazing resilience to death. I broke his neck in four places with my steel-toed boots and it didn't even faze him. He simply snapped everything back into place and kept fighting. I have a feeling it has something to do with that symbol on his mask. I need to know what it means."

Silence. Robin heaved a heavy sigh of defeat. He was starting to think he would never get any closer to Slade than he already was. Looks of uncertainty plagued many of the heroes, except for Batman and Zatanna who continued to wear unreadable expressions. The dark Titan sunk further into his seat. Raven would have been a great asset in this meeting. At least she would have been able to tell him what the others were thinking.

A few moments of calmness blanketed the table before the former member of the league stood from her seat. "I do not believe this symbol is of this dimension. There is a strange evil behind it, an evil that seems oddly familiar, but extremely distance. What you are looking for may be well beyond your reach."

"I can't accept that," Robin stated dully. "Somehow, Slade got his hands on this otherworldly power and I need to know how to stop it. I will not just ride this off as something I can't possibly hope to understand when my team and the lives of the innocent people in Jump City are at risk." He felt the warmth of Starfire's hand melt into his shoulder as she attempted to soothe him. He gazed around the room to ensure he had everyone's attention before speaking again. "Before we came here, we had a group meeting to assess all of this information. The only theory that seems to make sense with the facts is that Slade really _is_ dead. He died that day in the pit of lava, but was summoned by someone or some _thing_. Starfire was actually the one who thought of it."

The alien decided to complete Robin's lecture. "There is a legend on my world that tells of an evil man hungry for power. When he was sent to his death, he returned to Tamaran with strange powers of fire that did much damage to my home. It is believed that he gave away his soul to receive such great abilities, but he was later deceived. I believe that is-"

"But the only thing capable of that kind of sorcery is a demon!" Green Lantern's harsh voice interrupted. All eyes turned to him with questioning glances when his statement reached their ears. "I don't know that personally, but Jones was saying something about that awhile ago. He was talking about some strange disturbance and then he took off to check things out, I guess."

Superman nodded his head. He had known Martian Manhunter had taken a temporary leave of absence, but the leader had decided it was wise to let his friend go without much questioning. Then there was a possibility that the situation with Titans and Jones' decision to leave were connected. Before he could voice his thoughts, Zatanna spoke.

"A demon…" Her voice seemed oddly remote. "Tell me, Titans, this friend of yours who is being hunted…what is their name?"

Robin locked eyes with her, noticing the apparent fear in her face. Perhaps he was finally getting somewhere. Without diverting his gaze, he let a word fall from his lips. "Raven."

The black haired girl shot from her seat, blue eyes widened with shock as the name echoed throughout the room. Her expression matched the painted images that grazed the surface of Green Lantern and Wonder Woman. There, clearly shown on the three heroes, was the same recognition Robin had witnessed in Batman when he had spoken of his shadowy friend.

"Raven," Zatanna whispered. "Raven? You have allowed her on your team? What amount of ignorance plagues you? How can you be so blind to her treachery?"

The two Titans looked at each other briefly, afraid of what they would hear. Another traitor? Living through what had happened with Terra had been heart wrenching enough for them, but Raven? She was an invaluable member of their team. Not a day went by that Robin didn't recall how she saved them in a battle, or defeated an enemy with ease that the others had struggled against. Though shrouded in mystery, the dark girl couldn't possibly be against them.

"Zatanna, calm down. I suggest you give Robin a chance to explain more about this girl before you start bringing about your first impressions," Batman stated coldly before turning to the boy next to him. "Tell the others how you met her and what you know of her."

The Titan leader nodded his head and began to speak of his fated meeting with the strange girl.

---

_Rain poured from the sky, mixing with the pounding winds as it pelted those still brave enough to walk the streets. Though the thickness of the clouds made it impossible to determine the time with the moon and stars, it was surely well into the night as the bitter chill of the cold bit at those still awake and active._

_Sounds of a desperate fight shook a shadowed alley as it went unnoticed by the civilians who were seemingly used to the noise. The boom of a gun was not enough to wake the innocent from their minds as they continued on their own paths, unwilling to aid in whatever struggle was taking place._

_A steel-toed boot collided with the attacker's stomach, forcing the taller man to fall to the floor. Robin reached for a birdarang, but was quickly knocked to the side by the injured fighter. The brawl continued on as neither was able to find an advantage. Johnny Rancid had become a worthy opponent to say the least._

_A flash of blue caught the shielded eyes of the struggling hero. A top a nearby building was a figure cloaked in the color of the ocean, long amethyst hair blowing in the violent winds. With Robin's eyes averted to the strange girl, Rancid took this open opportunity. A studded glove collided with the boy's face only to be followed by the icy touch of a gun tip placed against his forehead._

"_Bye bye, birdy," the villain mocked as he grinned at his apparent victory._

_Robin shifted his eyes at the building once more, but girl was no where to be found. He had seemingly no chance of escaping. The boy would have to attempt to reach for a weapon quick enough without the man noticing. Before he was given a chance to carry out his plan, Johnny Rancid was covered in a strange black aura and then catapulted into a thick brick wall where he was buried in rubble._

_The brave fighter's eyes lit with shock as he desperately searched for this new foe. Hearing the faint pat of footsteps against fallen rain, he grabbed another birdarang, holding it tightly in his palm. Without giving the approaching shape a chance to speak, he hurled the weapon forward, watching as it sliced through fine purple hair._

"_Calm yourself, Robin," the figure began to speak. "I mean you no harm. I have been looking for you."_

_The boy backed away, not trusting the strangely dressed girl as she stepped forward from the shadows. It was then that he finally got a decent glimpse of her. She wore a black leotard with a belt of cloth hanging between her legs both behind and in front of her. The head of a raven colored in blue grazed her stomach as its wings formed the part of the outfit that covered her hips. A large blue cloak was clasped around her neck by a gold-encased red jewel that matched the gem gleaming on her forehead. Her arms were gloved to the elbows in black, a few of her pale fingers remaining uncovered, and her legs were wrapped in ebony knee-high boots that ended in a point on her thigh. The damage he had caused her was an obvious embarrassment as Robin gazed at her hair. The right side had been sliced to shoulder length roughly while the left remained down to her waist, but his attention was soon shifted as he caught sight of her sapphire eyes; he had never seen anything like them before._

"_Who are you?" the he asked in wonder._

"_I am known as Raven. I have come to you asking for help and from the looks of things, it appears you are in need of mine," the pale girl plainly spoke as she continued to approach._

_Robin's pride clouded his mind as he began to physically refuse the bird's request, seemingly upset with being saved by a girl he did not know. As he began to walk away from her, he shot out a final call. "I don't need anyone's help! And why should I trust you? I don't even know how you found me or why you know my name! What makes you think I'll just drop everything and help a perfect stranger?"_

_A flash of light whizzed past the boy, halting his retreating steps as he listened to Raven's voice. "Because he told me you would."_

_Confused by the girl's answer, Robin looked to see what had been thrown at him. There, lodged in a panel of wood near his face, was an unmistakable symbol. It was a batatang._

_Batman had sent her._

_---_

"That was about six years ago. She said she wanted to help people with her powers. So, we decided to form a team of heroes. I had originally wanted to call us The Titans, but Raven was afraid it would go to our heads. She found it more appropriate to call us The Teen Titans, hoping that would make our enemies underestimate us as well as take off some of the pressure of being a super hero from the members of the team since the title wasn't so prestigious. A year later, we had five members and a home built in Jump City."

Once Robin was finished, he waited patiently for a response. He could see a blank look of contemplation on Starfire as she thought about what she had just learned. That didn't bother him in the slightest, but the look of disbelief that plagued Batman, Zatanna, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman was unnerving.

"She never…" Wonder Women stuttered. "She didn't tell you anything else about her?"

The Titan leader gave her a questioning look, turning his head to his former partner for an answer. Though he was hoping the dark knight would be able to give him what he wanted, Robin was simply thrown another question.

"Was that the only reason she gave you for wanting to start the team?" the man's voice grew colder as he continued. "You aren't hiding anything, are you?"

"She didn't tell you about her father?" Green Lantern spoke with shock.

"No! She didn't say anything!" Robin shouted as he gazed around the room. "Will someone tell me what's going on?"

Zatanna placed her hands on the table, her white cape covering her blue-clad shoulders as her eyes pierced behind the confused boy's mask. She took pity on him for having been left in the dark by one he trusted, but the truth must be made clear.

"Your friend, Robin, has been deceiving you."

**A/N:** Sorry it took so long to update! This is the longest chapter I've written so far and I wasn't able to get ahold of my editor, so please pardon the mistakes I missed. The next chapter will have Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg in it, I promise. I actually have some ideas already set for Chapter 16. I'm not too familiar with the JLA, so hopefully I kept them in character. Also, I sorta mixed and matched the members of the Justice League from the old Teen Titans comics and the JLA cartoon show...that's why Zatanna is there...she's from the comics. Any questions you might have concerning why the JLA knows about Raven will be answered in the next chapter!

All reviews are appreciated!


	16. Chapter 16

Rain pelted down from the darkened sky, covering all who walked about the streets. The sound of screeching tires filled the air as the hours of night ticked on. The harsh weather did nothing to slow the fast pace of one moving vehicle; determination was laid thick on the driver's face.

A black motorcycle covered with distinct bat-like shapes sped through the parading water from above, projecting a most obnoxious noise as it accelerated through turns until it reach the open freeway. Robin's face, though hidden by the mask and helmet he wore, was bent in utter disgust. As his mind became clouded with recent revelations, his heart picked up the feel of arms clutching him tightly. His behavior was most likely scaring Starfire, but she knew as well as he did that he had a right to feel this way.

Raven was a traitor.

----

"_Your friend, Robin, has been deceiving you."_

_Zatanna's final words seemed to slap the Titan leader across the face. Never throughout the course of the team's existence, had he doubted his mysterious friend regardless of what his companions thought when they opposed his trust in her. Raven would never backstab him. They had been through so much together._

The dark boy was convinced; Zatanna was lying.

"_I don't believe you!" Robin shouted, slamming his gloved palms against the metallic table as he stood from his seat. "Unless you have enough proof to change my mind, I will not stand for you accusing her of something like that!"_

"_Sit down, Robin," Batman nearly shouted as he grabbed the flustered boy and forced him back to his seat. The older man was not pleased with the disrespect his former understudy had just displayed to a highly esteemed member of the JLA._

_Nodding in Bruce's direction, Superman shifted his gaze to Zatanna. She obviously knew a few things about this Titan girl that he was unaware of. The prospect of learning something new gave him a determination that matched that of Robin's. "Please, Zatanna, continue with your explanation. I'm also curious about this girl."_

_The woman bowed her head, her voice coming out just above a whisper. "It was six years ago when she came here searching for salvation…"_

_----_

The leader grunted loudly, cursing the Justice League under his breath. He could feel Starfire's grip on him tighten and for some reason, it came as a comfort to his shattered mind. After having been forced to hear of Raven's unthinkable treachery, he wasn't sure what to believe anymore. At least Starfire had not changed. She was a constant within him that continued to keep him moving forward.

The alien could feel her friend's muscles tense under her arms. Having bared witness to the previous displays of affection between the dark teens, Starfire assumed it was Robin's heartfelt feelings for Raven that caused him so much pain when hearing of her true nature. For Starfire, the pain was very different. The empath had become her best friend and a part of the Tamaranian still believed that Raven was not evil, that she was still who they thought she was in the past, but the rest of her mind fought against that seemingly foolish hope.

As she felt their borrowed vehicle speed up beneath her, she began to wonder if Robin's anger was caused by their friend's new face or the fact that he had not been able to detect her dishonesty sooner. Perhaps his fear of facing the dark girl was what was causing him to ignore his communicator, which was currently ringing its familiar call. This thought only served to remind her of the story she had heard Zatanna tell at the meeting. The tale played within her mind as if it had been a memory she had experienced long ago.

----

_Footsteps sounded off in the distance; cold steps against an aged floor. The members of the Justice League appeared to be unaware of the noise, but Zatanna was not. Her raven hair fell across her face as she jerked quickly in her seat._

They were not alone.

_Batman looked back at the girl, joining her in her standing position and signaled the others to do the same. Something was certainly not right. Zatanna was never one to make sudden movements; something had caught her off guard._

"_Is everything alright?" Bruce's deep voice sounded._

"_We have a visitor."_

_Almost immediately after the black haired girl had spoken, the door behind her creaked open. Sapphire eyes pierced the darkness as they were the only things visible to the onlookers. Coming forth from the shadows was a small girl cloaked in blue. Her face showed no feeling as she moved closer to the inhabitants of the room._

"_Who are you?" Hawkman demanded, his gruff voice stopping the mysterious girl in her tracks._

"_I come from the dimension of Azarath," the intruder's voice came in a calming tone. "I seek the means to protect this world from evil."_

"_We've already got a handle on the crime fighting here. Are you asking to join the team?" Green Lantern questioned as he tried to make sense of the girl's motive. She was awfully young to become a member of the league._

"_Please," she continued, her face still hidden from them beneath her hood. "I come only to ask for your assistance against a great evil."_

_The girl stopped as she watched one of them approach her. The woman was hardly clothed compared the one she was walking toward, but her outfit clearly distinguished who she was; Wonder Woman. A warm smile was written on her face and though they were strangers, she was able to bring comfort to the flustered child._

"_Tell us, little one," the kind woman began. "What is your name?"_

_Seeing the lady before her begin to reach for her hood, the young girl moved back, pulling down what had kept her face hidden from them. The unmasking of her face caught the eyes of those who looked from afar in the room. Her skin tone was unmistakably alien and it served well to compliment her amethyst hair, a color none of them had seen so brilliantly before._

"_I am Raven. I hail from the peaceful world of Azarath where I am known as Metrion…the Summoner," Raven let her full introduction linger in the echoes before continuing. "Please hear me. There is a demon who threatens this world, a demon of an evil none of you can imagine."_

_Wonder Woman looked behind her, exchanging a look with Batman, and receive his silent approval of her handling the situation. Turning back to the mysterious girl, the black haired woman smiled gently, doing her best to show Raven that she had no reason to fear them._

"_How old are you, Raven?"_

The girl's eyes widened slightly, making it clear to the others that she was unaccustomed to others caring about seemingly insignificant details about her. All seemed to share a mutual feeling of sympathy for their visitor; all but Zatanna whose face was shrouded in uneasiness.

"_I-I am twelve years of age."_

"_For such a young child, you seem to have a great amount of knowledge," Zatanna spoke, her voice holding a strange sense of ice. "How do you know of this?"_

"_I have seen it in visions. I have heard it spoken to me by the monks of Azarath. I have fled from my home in the hope that I can save this world. Please, say that you will help me."_

_Batman gazed at Zatanna, her cold tone having caught him off guard. There was something strange going on within her and the dark knight was positive it had everything to do with this unexpected guest._

"_Perhaps we should do as she says," Hawkman spoke, his earlier roughness now a thing of the past._

_Green Lantern nodded in approval. "If what this girl says is true, then we're in for some serious trouble. Better be prepared for the worst. I say we let her stay here awhile; she seems to know all about this evil that's coming."_

"_The evil is not coming! It is already here!" Zatanna shouted as she shot forward to stop any of the Justice League fighters from approaching the girl any further. "Do not trust her. I sense a dark evil within her. She may very well be leading us into a trap!"_

"_No!" Raven shouted as the low murmurs of shock worried her. "My father! He is the one who threatens this world. Trigon the Terrible is-"_

"_The daughter of the Eighth Devil of Hell?" Zatanna gasped as she moved back, locking her eyes with Batman. "Send her away! She is the child of Satan!"_

"_No! Please! Hear me!" Raven pleased._

"_Enough!" her accuser shouted. "We will hear you no longer. Your treachery is not so easily blanketed by your lies. I do not adhere to human words, which are so easily twisted, but only to my instinct and my foresight do I submit and they betray what you have spoken. The help you seek will not be delivered. Go back to where hence you came!"_

_The young girl searched the eyes of each person before her, desperate to find salvation in one of them. All she could sense was a deep distrust embedded within their minds. The only hope that was she given was the deep sympathy emanating from Batman and Wonder Woman, but uncertainty was clearly written across their facess. She would find no comfort here._

_Throwing a painful look at the two who seemed to pity her, Raven lifted the edges of her cloak around her, her black leotard dress flowing in wind she had created. Grasping the blue cloth firmly in her ebony gloved hands, her eyes glowed white. She began to sink slowly into the confides of her cape until it, too, turned to shadow and flew off in the form of a raven shaped by black energy._

_----_

Beast Boy sighed as his eyes bored holes into the small yellow circle in his hand. He been calling Robin for the past two hours and yet, he had not gotten a response. The strange vision Raven had previously had was still fresh in his mind as he continued to call their lost leader again. Receiving no answer, the changeling threw the contraption to the floor and bowed his head into his hands.

The past few days had been a nightmare to say the least. First, Raven had been drenched in her own blood, being stalked by Slade in her own room. Then, she had a vision of Robin dying and Starfire simply nowhere in sight and if that wasn't enough, she had completely freaked out on them when they asked her what happened and ended up smacking him into a wall before she disappeared into the floor.

"Still can't reach 'em?" a familiar voice asked gently.

"No, Robin's not picking up. They haven't even called us since they left! It's been a week! What if Raven was right?" Beast Boy whispered as he gazed at his approaching friend, watching as the cybernetic man took a seat next to him on the couch. "What if they really are dead?"

"Don't talk like that. You know as well as I do that Rae's kinda out of it right now. Maybe that was just some far-into-the-future vision or somethin'," Cyborg reasoned, doing his best to nullify the worst case scenario.

"Then why don't they answer?"

The robot sighed; he wasn't liking this conversation. "I don't know, man, but I'm not gonna just say they're dead, okay? Remember the first time The Hive attacked us? You and Raven were pretty sure Robin was gone for good, but he showed up, didn't he? That guy has a habit of disappearing for awhile, but he always comes back."

The changeling smiled at his friend. Maybe he was right. Standing from his seat, the boy stretched his tired limbs, looking around the dark room before gazing back at the older man. "What time is it?"

"It's pretty close to midnight," Cyborg laughed as he joined the boy in standing. "Wanna call it a night?"

Before Beast Boy could respond, a familiar chill shot through his body. There was an unmistakable presence within the room. Letting a soft smile graze his lips, the green boy turned to look behind him, his emerald eyes locking with approaching sapphire. Raven had decided to join them.

"Well look who's here, y'all!" the silicon man chuckled as the girl approached them. "Whatcha doin' up so late, little lady?"

"I couldn't help but become curious about the fear and worry you two were emitting. Have you – have you been able to reach Robin?" Raven spoke just above a whisper, her head bowed in shame for having distressed them yesterday.

"I'm sorry, Rae," Beast Boy voiced with genuine sympathy. "I don't know what's happened to him."

"I see."

Cyborg shifted his gaze between the two distraught Titans. This was getting ridiculous. Their life had become a never-ending soap opera and he was sick of being left in the dark. Taking a few large steps forward, the giant approach the empath, determined to hear the truth.

"Alright, Raven," he began. "Enough of this mysterious stuff. You've got some serious explaining to do."

Sighing in defeat, the dark girl led them back to the couch, wordlessly motioning for them to sit with her. Shifting through the many things she could possibly tell them, the sorceress attempted to pick and choose what was most pertinent and what should be concealed for the time being. Content with her final decisions, she began to speak.

"Look, I…" Raven began, her voice fading with nervousness.

"You said you were trying to cut symbols out of your skin," Beast Boy's concerned voice called to her. "What are they?"

The empath took in a deep breath. "They're birthmarks…a warning. Something is coming, a great evil, and those marks serve to remind me of that."

The green man shared a quick glance with Cyborg, allowing the robot to ask a question of his own.

"So, why was Slade in your room?"

Seeing the fear within her pain-stricken eyes, Beast Boy moved closer to the girl, placing a comforting hand on her left shoulder. Though he was beyond eager to hear the answer to the question, he refused to push her. The poor girl had been through so much lately and it would be cruel to force her into anything she was uncomfortable with.

Looking into his eyes, Raven felt a kind warmth flood her. Beast Boy was being patient despite his curiosity. That alone was enough to give her the strength to swallow her fear. She shrugged off the thought of them accusing her and relaxed, knowing full well they meant only to understand.

"The symbol on his forehead," she began softly. "It's the sign of a demon. He-"

Raven was abruptly cut off when the sound of opening doors filled the dark walls of the main room. The three Titans turned to face the intruder, but their eyes were not quick enough. Steel-toed boots collided with the floor with such speed that the noise seemingly faded by the time it had sounded.

A powerful wind pushed the dark girl back, knocking her from her feet and pressing her against the nearby wall, her legs forced to dangle in the air as she was lifted up. The air was knocked out of her lungs, causing her mind to spin as she felt a stiff arm against her neck. Unable to draw in a breath, Raven choked out a gasp and forced her eyes open, swallowing the pain her body screamed as her bandages gave way and her wounds began to reopen.

There, holding her against her will was Robin, his mask bent down in hatred.

"Robin!" a shrill voice called. It was Starfire.

"Yo, man! What are you doing?" Cyborg shouted, his words drenched with fear.

"Put her down, you jerk! She's hurt!" Raven could hear sorrow behind Beast Boy's voice as he let the words fall from his lips.

"Who are you?" Robin spat as his arm pressed against her neck even harder, causing her to cry out in pain. "Answer me, dammit!"

The empath swallowed her agony as she forced her voice to speak out in her defense. Lifting a scarred hand, she wrapped her fingers around the gloved wrist that was lodged against her. One eye shut as the pain threatened to return to her, but the other stared down weakly at her attacker, the disbelief within her clearly written in blue.

"Robin…it's me….Raven….please…"

"Traitor!" he shouted to silence her. "You little liar! How could you? We trusted you from day one and then you turn you back on us! When were you going to tell us, huh? Right before you killed us all?"

"Robin! Enough!"

A flash of red and purple was all the brushed Raven's vision before she felt the weight against her body fade away. Still confused by her friend's odd actions, the empath was unable to summon her powers to break her fall. She closed her eyes tightly as she prepared to keep down the pain she would face when her tattered form collided with the floor.

What she expected never came to be. Strong arms caught her, lowering her gently to the floor. Raven opened her eyes merely to be faced with an image of Beast Boy crouching over her, as he sent an intense glare at their leader. She could feel the warmth his arm supporting her back, his fingers grasped her left shoulder softly. His right hand was stretched over her, its palm pressed firmly against the ground by the girl's left side. He looked like an animal protecting its mate and Raven was uncertain if this was comforting or frightening.

"What is your deal?" the changeling yelled. "What's she ever done to you, huh?"

Robin pulled himself out Starfire's arms, and as Raven watched this, she became fully aware of the meaning behind the two colors she had previously seen. The alien had thrust the boy off of her.

"She's not one of us, Beast Boy," the dark boy challenged as he approached slowly, the shadows of the night shielding his face from them. "She's been fooling us from the very beginning. She doesn't deserve to be a Titan."

Raven's eyes became wide with the same fear that struck Cyborg and Beast Boy as they watched their trusted leader spell nothing by hatred with his words. Before any of them could speak, the tower was drenched in red light, a familiar alarm calling out to them.

**A/N:** Alright, first off, Raven being called Metrion on Azarath is not from the comics. I found a translation of "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" somewhere and it supposedly means "By the power of the Land of the Shadow, rise to my command". Rise to my command…summon…it's the same concept. So, since in the comics Raven was not welcome on Azarath, I figured they would give her a name in their own language that had a negative connotation. She is the one who will summon Trigon, so that's what, in my story, they have named her. I believe I've heard someone wrote a fanfic with Raven being called Metrion by her mother, but in my story, only the monks called her that.

Okay, I have serious issues with keeping track of the time flow in my story, so I'm gonna go and edit the previous chapters…some have scenes that randomly happen at night when the chapter is suppose to be set in the day time. Oh well. The majority of this story is supposed to be set at night anyway.

But yeah, Rob and Star have been gone for 7 days. They spent a 2 days on the road, were unconscious for two days, spent one day with the JLA, spent one day with Batman afterward (that's where they got the black motorcycle), and Robin sped home in a day. Add it up and it makes 7. I didn't show the scene with Batman giving them the motorcycle since it was unnecessary, I hope I implied it well enough. I'll try better with the time regulation. I know it's kinda confusing.

So how long has it been since Chapter One? goes back and reads the whole story I'm seeing it as being 12 days, but you guys are welcome to have your own opinion. The story started a week after Birthmark took place, they speculated through that unwritten about week and 5 days after the start of my story, and then Robin and Starfire left for a week in Gotham.

This story has a long way to go. Next chapter will be aimed toward Robin and the others finding out a few things about Raven from the enemy they're about to do battle with. So, Chapter 17 is basically going to be my equivalent to The Prophecy episode. I'm hoping to make the next chapter a bit creepy, kinda like Chapter 12…I hope you guys don't mind.

Wow…this is one long Author's Note…sorry! I had a lot of stuff to explain.


	17. Chapter 17

The rain had not let up. It poured down upon the city without mercy, drenching any who stood in its path. Cracks of lightening blanketed the sky, accompanied by the loud rumble of thunder. It would seem insane for any to be walking about in such weather, but the conditions did nothing to deter the path of five young warriors and the villain they planned to face.

Silence. None were talking as they continued to fight through the rain on foot. The T-Car and R-Cycle, having been trapped in thick mud, had been abandoned long ago and with the weather making flight dangerous, the Titans were grounded.

Robin led the way, a dark look scarring his features as he continued to ignore Starfire's silent pleads for him to let go of his anger. The alien walked a small distance behind him, clearly afraid of what he might do if she were any closer. Cyborg followed in pursuit of the Tamaranian, but kept her several feet in front of him, trusting that she would be able to help their leader more if they were given space. The robot was accompanied by Beast Boy who seemed to have his mind elsewhere, though that wasn't very different from how he usually looked. Raven lingered behind, unwilling to be near any of them after what had taken place.

The dark girl lowered her head in shame as she kept herself hidden from the rain. A dark image of a raven towered over her as a shield against the falling water as she continued to follow her teammates, walking softly on the ground as she did so.

Beast Boy looked around, trying his best to peer through the rain and wind that mocked his vision. The building they were passing appeared old, much older than he was accustomed to. They must be on the outskirts of the city. Deep down, the changeling hoped their leader knew where he was going. Averting his gaze, the boy looked at his teammates, realizing rather quickly that one was missing…Raven.

The green boy stopped walking, ignoring the bitter cold that bit in the absence of his body's moving warmth. He could hear her footsteps grow closer before they stopped. Taking this has his cue, Beast Boy turned around, flashing his dark friend his signature smile while reaching out a hand to her.

"Hey, don't fall behind now," he joked, wrapping his fingers around her left elbow and dragging her to his right side.

He could feel the stiffness of her muscles and it didn't take him long to figure out what was wrong. Robin's harsh words were still ringing in his own head and yet, he hadn't even been the one the thoughts were voiced to. If what their teammate had done was affecting him this badly, he could only imagine how shattered Raven must be.

"Rae, don't look so sad, okay?" the boy whispered into her ear. "It doesn't make you seem intimidating."

"Shut-up, Beast Boy. I don't need this right now," Raven coldly hissed, keeping her eyes glued to the ground.

"Whoa…I'm just trying to help," the changeling spoke, tightening his grip on her arm. "Just try and forget about it, okay? We've got more important things to worry about. Once we get rid of this villain guy, we'll go home, grab a nice warm glass of tea for you, hot chocolate for me, and we'll sort things out…all of us will."

The empath looked up at the boy, realizing she had subconsciously stretched her makeshift umbrella so that it shielded him from the cruel weather. Letting the softness of his voice warm her slightly, she allowed the edges of her lips to lift, forming a sorrowful smile, but a smile nonetheless.

Before their conversation could continue any further, Robin's voice echoed in the street.

"How much farther, Cyborg?"

The cybernetic giant wiped a layer of water off his right arm, peering into its radar screen. The signal he was receiving was growing louder by the second, but they still had a ways to walk. Cyborg only hoped they would have enough strength left to take down this enemy after covering such a long distance.

"Whoever this guy is, he's on the border of the city! I mean look around, y'all, all these buildings were abandoned years ago."

Robin stopped walking, turning slighting in order to look at the robot behind him. Before he could speak, Starfire broke into a question.

"Please, why do people no longer wish to live here?"

The leader decided to answer her quickly before moving on to the point he was trying to make earlier. "These buildings are old, Star, they're the original homes built when the city was first formed. They're unstable. Anyway," Robin continued, redirecting his gaze to Cyborg. "If there's no-"

"Dude!" Beast Boy interrupted. "Why would this guy even bother to attack if there's nothing to steal? No one lives here, right? So there's no one to hurt and no shops to take stuff from."

Robin sighed. The green boy had pulled the words straight from his mouth. Deciding their contemplation would serve them better if they continued moving, he began his walk once more. His masked eyes gazed in front as the far off building drew closer, each darkened by shadow, but their enormity still making them as impressive as they would have been in daylight. The structure of the edifices before him failed to match what he was used to seeing in Jump City.

"Cyborg," the dark boy called out. "We're nearly out of Jump City's jurisdiction. Is that-"

"Yeah, that's Gotham, alright."

"How utterly pointless!" Robin nearly shouted. "Star and I could've just stopped off here on our way home if that damn signal had gone off sooner!"

"Whoa, hold on a second," the changeling voiced. "If this guy is basically in Gotham, then why the heck did the alarm go off? I mean, it's not like he can hurt anyone down here…this whole place is deserted."

"It's because I set up a security system when we first heard about Slade that could reach wide enough to cover Gotham and Steel City. I was looking for his hideout, not a crime scene," Robin answered.

Beast Boy grunted in frustration. "That's not the point, man. Why are we even bothering with this place? Isn't the Jump–Gotham border suppose to be watched over by both cities? Why are we the only ones out here in the stinking rain?"

The leader was growing tired of the young boy's worthless questioning, but failing to answer would only provoke the changeling further. "Because, Beast Boy, Gotham has enough crime to deal with as it is so they don't even bother keeping an eye out over here. It's not like it matters! By the time we get to where we're going this guy will be long gone!"

"I doubt that."

Robin froze. The sound of her voice…it send chills up his spine…chills that reminded him of his hatred. He could feel his teeth clench within his shut mouth to match the fists forming at his sides. The last thing he needed was to hear her voice.

"No one asked you!" he spat as he whirled around.

"Yo, man! Chill! Let 'er talk, she might actually know more about this than you do," Cyborg challenged, his uneasiness about Robin's previous behavior clearly evident in his speech. Turning to face the empath behind him, he offered her a prompting nod.

"I…I don't think this guy has any intention of leaving before we meet him. He broke into a building and the old alarms went off, but that's it, that's all the report said. The only thing this person could possibly want in an abandoned part of town is us, there's nothing else to gain."

"Friend Raven is right," Starfire nearly whispered. "The evil man would have surely left long ago had he been attempting a robbery, but he remains. Perhaps he is merely hoping to defeat us."

"Dead part of town, no people, no cops, no one to hear you scream…it all sounds like some horror flick," Beast Boy stated, his eyes glazed over in contemplation.

"This is too good a plan for someone like Cinderblock or Control Freak to cook up," Cyborg spoke, turning his head to face Robin before continuing. "You think it might be Slade?"

"There's no doubt in my mind that this is his doing," the leader answered flatly. "We're out in the middle of nowhere with no means of backup. We'll have to rely on our own strength, which should be no problem if someone doesn't decide to use theirs against us," Robin finished, his shielded eyes casting an icy glance at his cloaked teammate.

Without another moment passing, an explosion burst from a building slightly behind Raven, knocking the dark girl and the changeling to the ground. Confusion erupted within them as another building was blown apart on the other side of the street. Brick, wood, glass…it flew in every direction trapped in a net of flames.

"Raven, Beast Boy! Get out of there, now!" Robin shouted over the commotion. His voice barely reached them as it was smothered by the loud sounding of another explosion, this one in a building behind their leader. Starfire's voice came in the form of a shriek as the dark boy jumped forward, knocking her to the ground and away from most of the flying debris.

They all stayed where they were, rooted to the ground, afraid another step would provoke another eruption of fire. Starfire lay beneath Robin as his body attempted to protect her, Beast Boy and Raven lay in a crumbled pile near each other, and Cyborg had taken to blasting the large debris with his sonic cannon, hoping to nullify the chances of any Titan being crushed to death. The glass and shards of wood failed to pierce his metal coated body.

"Don't move, y'all," they heard Cyborg call to them.

The metallic man turned to destroy a chunk of brick head toward Starfire and Robin, leaving the other two Titans unguarded temporarily. Beast Boy looked above him and felt the air catch in his throat. A large metallic cylinder was nearly upon him. Letting his instinct take over, the boy grabbed Raven around the waist and moved quickly away, thrusting her to his other side. The canister burst as in connected with the asphalt, causing a rush of water to spew from its opening. The two Titans were blanketed by the icy mess, but their thoughts on the cold were soon redirected as another explosion was set off, this one being near Starfire.

It was almost like fireworks, each fire ball spaced out nicely, keeping them waiting, anticipating the next one and then it happened, the finale. Every building around them, even those that had already been destroyed, began to set aflame. If they remained there any longer, they would surely be killed.

Raven lifted her body from the ground, ignoring Beast Boy's plea as she moved out from his grasp. Taking him by the arm and rushing him toward the others, the sorceress grabbed her cloak and threw it over them with her left hand, watching as it appeared to extend on its own, covering them all before merging into the form of a black energy raven. As her soul self took flight, its white eyes looked back for a brief moment, baring witness to a familiar symbol etched in the flames of the city.

The dark bird moved forward, crossing the city limit in an attempt to get them away from the dangers of Jump City. Gotham was clearly their only chance, despite the fact that it was where they would meet their enemy. Raven was a bit unnerved being in the dismal area, but her concern for her friends outweighed her discontent. Finding clear ground, she descended and spread out her black wings before morphing back into her humanoid form. Her cloak took shape and from it fell the other Titans.

"Okay, that was weird," Beast Boy coughed as he raised himself from the ground.

"What just happened?" Cyborg's curiosity voiced.

"I got you out of the city the quickest way I knew how," the empath answered vaguely, casting them a glance that begged them not to ask any further.

Dusting himself off, Robin stood up, watching as Cyborg did the same before voicing a question. "So, where's Slade hiding out?"

The giant turned to look back at the burning outskirts of the city. "Shouldn't we-"

"The firemen are most likely already on their way. Our job is to take down the criminal, not save empty buildings," the leader retorted coldly.

"Whatever you say, man." Cyborg glanced down at his right arm to check where the signal was resonating before answering his companion's inquiry. "Looks like he's in there."

The Titans let their eyes follow the man's outstretched arm. Not far from them stood an enormous church. The building blended into the night quite well, but the strikes of lightening throughout the sky flashed out its striking features. The design was purely gothic. Stained glass windows on the sides of the building were found mainly in shades of red and, as they began to approach it, they noticed the images in them were far from religious; they were of black birds.

A tight knot began to form in Raven's chest as the cathedral loomed overhead. There was something wrong with this place and a voice within her head begged her not to take another step. Glancing about her and seeing her friends now far ahead of her, she shrugged off her uneasy feelings and followed in suit.

"He wishes to fight us in a sanctuary? I do not understand. Why would anyone wish to taint such a place with blood?" Starfire spoke, her voice filled with sincere disgust and disbelief.

"This doesn't really look like much of a church, Star," Beast Boy huffed, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand. "It's kinda creepy to be a holy place, don't ya think?"

"Creepy or not, this is where Slade is and it's where we're going to finally take him down," Robin stated before grasping the handle on the large entry door and thrusting it open.

A gust of icy wind burst forth from the open doors, causing each Titan cringe under its cruel grasp. Letting the cold slip from his mind, the dark leader moved forward, allowing his body to be covered in darkness as he ventured into the cathedral. The other fighters followed his lead slowly and with an obvious display of nervousness.

Looking about them, they saw they were indeed within a church. Rows of benches decorated the floor, each tainted in red shadow from the large stained glass window at the end of the room. Hearing from Cyborg that Slade was in the very room they stood within, they ventured forward with the determination to face him head on, barely taking notice as the color of blood spilled over them from the stained glass.

Beast Boy looked up at the window, trying to make out what the image was. It was unique to say the least. In the center was the depiction of four red eyes, bent in as expression of hatred. The changeling couldn't help but think he had seen them before. Surrounding the eyes were strange black birds with similar orbs grazing their faces. They reminded him of the animals he had seen within Raven's mirror. In fact, this entire place reminded him of Raven, despite it being red and not as blue as his friend. Even the outer casing of the glass was an image of the dark girl. The top of it was curved downward into a point, matching perfectly with the hood that framed the girl's pale face.

Stopping his steps, the changeling looked behind him, letting his eyes glance at the dark girl he had been reminded of. What he was faced with was not what he expected. Instead of curiosity, he saw pain. One eye was closed, the other blanketed with agony. Her left hand was pressed against the side of her face, her thumbing casually rubbing her temple as the rest of her fingers held back her damp hair. The walk of her feet was faulty and as he continued to watch her, he was afraid she might lose her balance and topple over. At first he shrugged it off as her cloak being slightly too heavy for her now that it had been soaked by they water heater that had burst next to them back in the city, but as his emerald eyes searched her for an answer, he began to wonder if there was a reason this place matched the girl so well.

Before he could voice any words of concern, Robin's shocked tone echoed from the black walls. "It's the symbol!"

Each Titan looked to where his hand was pointing. Beneath Beast Boy's feet was a red circle, painstakingly visible against the ebony carpet. Strange scriptures were placed within the ring and in the center lay the mark that had haunted their steps for so long. The green boy froze, his breath caught in his throat and his feet refusing to move.

Raven could feel her body being pulled toward him, toward what was etched into the floor. Fear painted her body as she felt it begin to burn inside. The warning she had felt earlier should have been heeded. This was no place for her. Her feet did not stop their misguided path until she was standing in the center of the disk. Then it struck. A pain she had never felt before flooded every inch of her, causing her entire form to tremble beneath its cruel hold. Her breath came as ragged gasps as she did her best to suppress the sting she felt.

The team could only look on in shock as a strange red light shot from the ring, knocking Beast Boy away from Raven and into Cyborg who easily caught him. The light extended up toward the ceiling, cutting through the old roof and stretching out to the storm-filled sky. Their dark friend was caught in a cylinder of blood-colored light.

Raven could feel the bandages left on her body be torn away and a scream escaped her lips as the burning sensation within her burst, moving quickly to carve red designs on her skin. The pain was unbearable, but she was able to remain standing…until the lightening struck. A beam of crackling light engulfed the poor girl's body, causing her shriek of pain to grow even louder. Her knees buckled under the agony and she fell, her vision blurring as she fought to stay conscious.

"Raven!" Beast Boy shouted as he ran toward the fallen Titan. His body was thrown back the moment he touched the red shield, making it obvious to the group that they would have to risk using their powers to help the girl.

Before the rest had a chance to attack the strange light, the statues lining the walls of the church began to glow a strange red hue. The image of crimson cloaked figures emerged from them, each face hidden in the shadows cast by the hoods they wore, hoods similar to Raven's. The mass of spirits began to chant slowly, their words becoming a haunting riddle.

"The gem was born of Evil's fire. The gem shall be His portal. He comes to claim; He comes to sire the end of all things mortal."

"What in the world…" Robin's voice faltered.

A piercing scream from their dark companion shook them all from their fascination. There attention was drawn immediately to Raven, who continued to suffer within her strange cage. Deciding they would decipher the odd message later, they focused on trying to free their friend as the chanting continued around them.

Starfire released an onslaught of starbolts at the red beam, but even with the combined strength of the green flame that shot from her eyes, it remained unharmed. Robin threw a set of explosive disks toward it only to watch as they left no sign of damage; not even his freeze weapons had an effect. Cyborg lifted his right arm, letting it form his signature cannon, but his blast never fired.

They each froze at the sound of Raven's shaken voice. "Aza- Azarath Metrion Zinthos! Cara-Carazon...Rakashas E-Endere... V-Vaserix Endrien!"

The outer layer of the beam began to be consumed by the sorceress' unmistakable black aura. She was fighting against it. From the look on her face and the nearly transparent color of her powers, the Titans were able to infer that she was losing the battle. They had to think of something quickly.

Noticing Cyborg's outstretched cannon, Robin called out to the robot. "Shoot her!"

"What?" Beast Boy coughed in surprise.

"It's the only way to save her!" the leader countered. "Cyborg! Blast her out of that dammed thing!"

Taking in a deep breath, the synthetic man nodded and took aim. His mind hesitated at first, but as he watched his friend grasp her head with both hands and scream out once more, he knew he had to help her. A ray of blue shot from his right arm, gliding easily through Raven's power, knocking the torn girl from her crimson tomb and causing the chanting spirits and blood light to fade into darkness.

Beast Boy was the first to run toward their fallen friend, but his race was cut short. A flash of black came into his view and before he had a chance to react, a strong fist collided with his face, knocking him to the ground. The shadow was gone in the same instant the blow made contact, leaving them all dumbfounded.

"What's the matter, Titans? Don't tell me you've lost your touch."

The intruding voice echoed all around, its tone a familiar evil in their hearts. Each of them jerked their heads about, desperately trying to locate where the sound had come from, the resonance having thrown them and Cyborg's sensors into confusion. Raising herself slightly on her elbows, Raven tried her shot at sensing the villain, but to no avail. Something wasn't right. A sense of dread clouded her concentration.

"I've brought you all a little surprise. I do hope you enjoy it."

"There!" Robin shouted as he distinctly heard Slade's voice coming from behind them.

The Titans shifted their gaze to the stained glass window. Fear struck within them all as their eyes were met with an unimaginable sight painted with the image of red tainted lightening.

There, hanging limply from the ceiling was none other than Red X.

**Author's Note: **Don't ya just hate me?

–dodges flying food–

Sorry! I know that was a cruel cliffhanger! Originally, this chapter was 15 pages long, but I personally hate it when stories/novels have 10-15 page chapters and then randomly have a 50 page one, so I decided to cut it into 2 chapters. I really liked this ending and it was actually the original ending for Ch.17 before I kept writing. Then I cut it off at page 12, but the ending didn't sit right with me and I wrote 3 more pages until I finished with a satisfying ending.

That's not the only reason I split this in two. I'm starting Band Camp on Tuesday, so I won't have a lot of time to write the next chapter and I know you guys hate it when I leave you hanging for awhile. I figured if I just took this uber long chapter and split it in two, that would guarantee you guys an update from me within the next week or two since all I have to do is upload the file I've already written.

I promise Ch.18 doesn't have a nasty cliff hanger! I don't want you guys threatening to eat after that chapter since I'll be back in school and the time between updates will be much longer than you're used to. So consider this lovely cliff hanger a blessing and a curse.

Someone new will appear in Chapter 18 and I assure you, Chapter 19 will be all about Raven explaining what she's been hiding from the Titans. I know some of you have been waiting for that chapter.


	18. Chapter 18

Starfire could not contain her dread. A scream echoed form her lips as her eyes shut tightly, no longer able to gaze upon the dead form above them. She could hear Robin's fearful voice telling the others to get back, but for some reason, her body would not respond. Before she could continue her attempts to move, cold hands lifted her, carrying her to safety.

Cyborg carried the shaken alien over to where Beast Boy was hunched over Raven. They each watched as Robin shot a birdarang at the noose hanging the criminal, following the silhouette of the body as it fell to the floor. Unable to look any longer, the robot gazed down at his friends. The dark girl next to him appeared to be struck with the same terror that had overcome Starfire, but the fear was much different. The changeling noticed this glint in her eyes as well, it was as if she was remembering something.

"My vision," Raven whispered. "Red X…Robin…"

"…are dead."

They froze. Slade's unmistakable voice pierced through the air from behind them. Without a chance to turnand face the intruder, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire were knocked back by a wave of fire, leaving the empath injured and unguarded. Robin began to race toward the villain, but his heroic dash failed. The man simply held out his left hand, sending the boy flying backward, encased in the same flames his friends had suffered.

The attack knocked the Titan leader into the limp body of Red X, which promptly fell over him on impact. Robin let a shout fall from his lips as he quickly shoved the dark form away from him, simply terrified of having a dead body resting on his chest.

Taking advantage of the team's temporary distraction, Slade stepped forward, intending to corner Raven who crawled helplessly away from him, the pain she experienced earlier still hindering her strength.

"What's the matter, Raven? Afraid of what you are – of what you have always been? Afraid of how your friends will treat you when they know the truth?" the sinister man mocked as he continued to walk toward her retreating form. "You can't run away from your destiny any longer. It's time they know the truth!"

The sorceress cried out as Slade reached down to grab her, but his hand never managed to touch her cloak. A small explosion erupted behind him, knocking the dark attacker to the ground. Raven looked up, afraid to see who had saved her, but what her eyes gazed upon came as a comfort to her.

"Leave her alone!" Robin shouted through clenched teeth.

Before the villain could fully stand, the raven-haired boy shot forward, bringing his bo staff down upon the man's head. The attack did nothing to faze the enemy, but merely provoked his anger. Slade threw Robin back with a ball of fire, giving him enough time to extend his own staff. The master and apprentice became locked in a battle of strength, each wielding the same weapon.

"Why do you still fight for her?" the messenger sneered as he smacked the boy square in the chest. "After all the lies she has told you, why do you still protect her?"

"I'm only here to take you down!" Robin answered as his staff collided with Slade's steel pole.

Starfire struggled to raise herself, the burnt skin of her back screaming out in protest. She turned her head toward the strange commotion, coming face-to-face with a deadlock fight between her friend and enemy. She ignored the pain filling her body and flew toward them, letting green light fly from her eyes and into Slade. Her attack's effect was cut short when the evil man reached out for Robin's leg, knocking the boy on his back as he struggled to stand, never letting hold of his grasp. Knowing full well the alien would not attack if she was to risk the safety of her friend, Slade took advantage of her innocence, spinning around once before letting Robin go.

Cyborg and Beast Boy watched in horror as their leader collided with the Tamaranian, forcing them both to crash into a nearby wall where they became covered by fallen pieces of the church. The robot jumped to his feet, firing his cannon without a second's though. His blast missed poorly, but that did not stop him from insisting on fighting. The fighter shouted for Beast Boy to watch over the empath before he charged into battle.

The changeling's eyes bent down in worry as he watched his friend fight against a man he was no match for. There had to be something he could do to help him, but if he moved to attack, Raven would be on her own. Letting his better judgment take hold, the boy lifted the fallen girl into his arms and waited, searching for a place to hide. Seeing Cyborg succeed in punching Slade into a row of benches, the green warrior raced toward a podium he had seen near the red symbol on the ground. Clutching the girl tightly to him, he ducked behind the pedestal, hoping their hiding place would buy them enough time to form a plan.

"Rae?" the boy called out softly.

The dark girl let a painful groan escape her tired lips as she opened her eyes fully, gazing into the emerald orbs above her. She could sense an overwhelming feeling of fear inside of him and despite her wish to comfort him, she had no words to do so. The same terror he felt was within her as well. Coming into the black sanctuary had been a terrible mistake and Raven mentally chastised herself not staying away when her mind told her to do so.

"I'm sorry," she coughed out in barely a whisper.

"Hey, don't get all mushy on me, okay? You're stronger than that!" Though his words were meant to encourage her, Raven could hear how empty they were, his fear and shock blinding his words. "Look, Rae, we need to get out of here. Maybe when Slade's distracted, we can make a run for it…or if you're up to it, you can do that trick with your cloak again."

The empath sighed in defeat. "It's no use. There's nothing we can do."

Beast Boy glared down at the girl in his arms. He refused to sit and listen to her claim their survival was hopeless. The boy was determined to help his friends no matter what anyone told him. There had to be something they could do.

"Wait!" the green elf gasped. "Those words you said earlier…you were able to fight off that red light with them. Wasn't that the symbol you were standing on the same as the one on Slade's forehead? Dude! What if those words can take him down?"

"No…" Raven coughed out, lifting her sapphire orbs to meet the boy's eyes. "That spell…it's used for transcending dimensions."

"Then how come it worked on that stuff around you?" Beast Boy countered, refusing to back down.

"The words…they were the marks that were written in that circle around the symbol. I-I just said them as a last resort, hoping it would work, but the spell wasn't complete…the name of the dimension was missing from the scripture on the floor."

"You're wrong."

Their wooden hiding place ignited with such a pounding force that it knocked the two Titans several feet away from where they had been sitting. Beast Boy morphed into a cheetah the moment he recovered from the fall, fully intending to tear Slade apart before the poisonous man had a chance to speak anymore. Raven could only sit and watch as her protector was shot away easily, smashing painfully into a small shrine of statues and candles.

Turning to face the dark girl, Slade began to finish what he had been saying earlier. "You know what that symbol means…you know what the end of the spell is supposed to be. Finish it."

"No!" the empath shouted, throwing a wave of dark energy toward her opponent.

The man simply stepped to the side, avoiding the carelessly thrown attack. Raven was losing her grip on her concentration. She would be much easier to manipulate than Slade had even dared to hope. Taking a few steps forward, he smiled inwardly at how she clumsily drew away from him, fear clearly painted on her face.

"Finish the spell."

Raven jumped as she felt her back graze against a wall. She was trapped. Her mind whirled in circles as she failed to calm herself. In an utter display of desperation, the empath shot forward, her hands burning with black fire.

"No!" she shouted again as she attempted to knock her opponent away.

"You will do as I command!" Slade refuted as he grabbed both of her attacking hands by the wrist, grinning to himself as she squirmed, attempting to break free.

"Wh-what makes you think I will ever do what you say?" the dark girl countered, trying to place a brave mask over her frail eyes.

The shadowed messenger moved forward, his mask drawing closer to the girl's pale face. "Because you already have. You took up that dagger I left you and carved out your own flesh. I didn't even have to convince you. That just proves how weak you really are."

Raven's eyes widened as the truth of the man's words sunk into her mind; she could no longer deny it.

"So you see, Raven, I have control over you. You will finish the spell! You have no choice!" Slade's deep voice sounded as he threw her to the ground.

The dark man raised both of his hands, letting out a low grunt as four whips of fire shot from his right hand's fingers. The strings of flameflew toward the fallen Titans, wrapping them each in a coiled trap. Raven's eyes became wide with shock as she stared into the pained faces of her friends, their agony deepening as they continued to struggle.

"Stop it! Leave them out of this!" the dark girl cried out.

"Finish the spell."

Raven paused only for a moment before nodding her head in agreement. She struggled to raise herself from the ground, but once she had succeeded, she wasted no time before gliding toward the red encryptions on the floor. Taking a deep breath, she touched down in the center, doing her best to ignore the pain when the crimson light returned around her.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos! Carazon Rakashas Endere! Vaserix Endrien Azarath...Scath, Scath!"

Obeying her command, the floor beneath the other Titans fell away, revealing a large staircase that faded into darkness. Fear tainted the dark girl's eyes, but it soon faded when she realized they were being held safe by Slade's deadly fire. The red light fell away from the girl once her chant ended, the ring below her feet disappearing into the wooden paneling. Raven had done what she was asked to do and she intended to see Slade release her friends safely.

Before the sorceress managed to turn around, she was forced to watch as the red vines wrapped around the Titans' bodies fell away, dropping them into the dark abyss she had created. Their screams echoed in mind as she was too slow to save them. Feeling the blood boil beneath her skin, she whirled around with a snarl.

Slade had already guessed her move and in an instant, a ball of fire shot forth from his palms, knocking the demon child down into the shadowy chasm he had sent the others to. Smiling behind his mask, the man began to descend, walking the newfound stairs with care. When he reached the bottom, he found Raven sprawled upon the floor, a trail of blood seeping down the edge of her lips.

"S-Slade…" the dark girl coughed as she struggled to open her eyes.

The man reached down and wrapped his fingers firmly around her cloak before lifting her to meet him at eye level. He was truly enjoying how helpless she looked.

"The board is set, Raven," he sneered. "The doors have been open."

Before he could continue anymore, a strange light caught his eye. Below Raven's dangling feet was a strange mark he had never seen before. The light began to grow, tiny tendrils branching off to carve intricate symbols upon the dark floor. The instant the engraving was complete, a white light shot upward, matching perfect with the crimson sign Raven had fallen victim to earlier.

Slade cursed loudly as his body was flung away, his back slamming into a hard wall before he collapsed onto his hands and knees. Looking up at the girl within the light, he could have sworn it was not the Titan he had been torturing a few moments ago. Her eyes glowed white, much like they did when she used her powers, but the voice was not hers.

"Azarath, Azarath!" the strange sound echoed before the girl disappeared, the light following in suit.

----

Blinding light. She couldn't bear to open her eyes; it was all too bright for her. There was a strange warmth blanketing her as she kept her orbs hidden, and though she had not the slightest clue of what it was, the sensation comforted her.

"Raven….open your eyes."

The empath's heart raced as a familiar voice filled her head. It couldn't possibly be her. Deciding to allow her eyes to be the judge, the broken girl blinked rapidly as she adjusted to her surrounding, focusing her attention the figure before her as it moved out of its silhouette.

Her white cloak and colored hair were unmistakable.

"M-Mother?"

"It is good to see you again, my child," a gentle voice sung from beneath the white hood.

Raven's eyes grew wide as came to her senses, letting her surroundings sink in. The place she was in seemed painfully familiar, as did the figure before her. She couldn't believe it…the empath was nearly convinced this was all a dream.

"Wh-where am I?" the girl asked, fully knowing where she was as she stood to take a better look around her.

"I have taken you to a true sanctuary," the woman answered softly.

"Azarath! But, I thought I was-"

"You are not here to stay, my child. I have only brought here to give you a chance at success."

Raven watched the women bend down, holding a silver pendant in her hands. The necklace was unique beyond description. It was a silver circle engraved with the same markings the sorceress had briefly seen below her before the light had taken her. She recoiled as her mother drew closer, attempting to pin it on her frail body.

"Raven…" she called as her gentle voice drew the dark girl back to her. Giving her daughter a kind smile, her pale hands reached out and clasped the pendant over the jewel that held the girl's cloak together. "It will keep you safe from Trigon's evil."

The young girl looked down, searching her mind for the meaning behind the symbol she now wore. A sudden flash came before her eyes as the answer became apparent.

"So, this is-"

"The mark of peace," her mother finished. "It is the seal that keeps Azarath safe from the devils and it will protect you from your father. It was given to me by the monks when I first came to this dimension and thus, it will keep us connected. If you should ever need my-"

Raven huffed loudly in disgust as she drew fully away, turning her back to her mother. "I have never needed your help, Arella."

The woman sighed as she stood up, brushing away a few strands of long purple hair that came before her eyes. She watched as the wind played games with her daughter's dark cloak, simply unable to think of words to counter the child's cruel statement.

"I see," Arella whispered. "Perhaps it is time you returned."

"What for?" Raven spat bitterly. "There's nothing to go back to."

"Your friends are not dead, Raven," her mother spoke softly, watching as hope and disbelief clouded the girl's sapphire orbs when she turned around. "Their bodies may be tattered from the fall, but they are far from death. You still have the opportunity to save them."

"No, I can't! He's too strong!" Raven countered. "Trigon's given him too much power. There's nothing I can do."

Arella's blue pools became drenched in sorrow as she listened to her daughter give in to fear. She moved forward, closing the vast distance between them before kneeling down and pressing a slim hand against the symbol she had bestowed upon the girl.

"There is always hope, my child."

She stood back, chanting softly as she summoned forth a familiar white light. Raven felt the same warmth wash over her body started to sink into the radiance around her. The dark girl's eyes shot toward her mother, silently sending the older woman a breathless farewell.

"You have the power you need to survive, my dear Raven. This pendant will help give you the courage to find it." As the words fell from Arella's mouth, her daughter's form vanished completely.

----

Slade stood over the fallen Titans, a flame burning in his hand as he pondered which unconscious child should be the first to fall. A short laugh escaped his lips as he drew back his arm.

"Consider this a favor, Titans, I am simply saving you from watching this world be covered in darkness," the man huffed as he began to bring his hand forward.

"Slade!"

The villain turned at the shrill voice only to see a slab of concrete heading directly toward him, giving him no chance to escape before it threw him into a nearby wall. Pushing the rock from his body, the dark man snapped his shattered bones into place, searching for his attacker.

"You will leave them out of this!" a familiar sound called.

It was Raven, her body glowing red with crimson symbols and her hands encased in black fire. The white shine of her eyes sent a sense of fear flooding through Slade's mask as he looked on, waiting for the girl to make her next move.

"Back from your hiding place, kid?" he mocked as the demon child approached.

"I wasn't hiding," she said with a smirk. "I was finding a way to destroy you!"

A wave of dark energy burst forth from behind the girl, thrashing Slade further into the wall he was against, beating down his body as he lay helpless. He had only one chance to take the girl down, but he would need her to drop her guard.

"Give up, Slade, there's nothing you can do to defeat me," Raven spat as she watched him attempt to get up.

Confidence. That was what he needed to see. Letting the flames return to his hands he shot twisted words at the dark empath. "I don't need to defeat _you_, Raven."

The fire flew passed the Titan, heading straight for her friends who remained helpless, trapped in a dreamless sleep. Raven panicked, racing back toward them and threw out her cloak, hoping to cover them in time. Her powers spun out of control, slashing the walls around her and knocking the flames into the upper layer of the church where it set fire to everything in its path.

Slade watched in horror at the destruction his attack had caused, but the terror he felt grew worse as his eye followed the image of a large black bird flying upward through the flames before being covered in the shadow of the night.

**--------------------**

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took me so long to post this. I lost track of time with Band Camp and I had minor surgery on my leg, so I could only get the file off my computer upstairs by sending my dad up to burn it onto a portable drive. If you didn't understand the ending, the black bird was Raven's soul self flying away with her friends. The next chapter will be centered on Raven telling the Titans about her past and their future. Arella might show up again...we'll see.

All reviews are most appreciated! I really do love knowing what you guys think of my story. It actually motivates me to write.


	19. Chapter 19

The silence of the night was broken as a dark shadow flew through the Tower, stopping when it was cast in the shine of moonlight seeping through the main room's large windows. The raven's nearly transparent wings stretched out toward the outer walls of the room, releasing the tattered forms of four teenagers before taking the shape of a cloaked girl. For a few moments, she stood on her feet, her eyes staring intently at the full moon, taking in its pale blends of white and grey before she fell silently to the ground and joined her friends in a dreamless sleep.

Hours passed by unnoticed and in what felt like only minutes, the night had given way to day. Sunlight peered through the room, casting a soft glow on the team that lay in shambles on the floor. It seemed to do nothing to awake them at first, but within a few moments, a young boy struggled to his feet, his black and yellow cape falling over his shoulders.

He peered around him, noticing three companions at his feet, and took to shaking them gently awake. They rose, dusting themselves off while casting each other confused glances. They could not seem to remember ever returning to the Tower.

"Hey, dudes," Beast Boy started with a whisper. "Weren't we in that church last time I checked?"

"Yeah, what happened?" Cyborg questioned, glancing down at their leader for answers.

Robin didn't reply, still unable to fathom what had taken place, but he let his masked eyes wander. Slowly he searched the room for their missing teammate, knowing full well she would have something to do with this. His blue eyes froze at the sight of a darkened figure a ways in front of them. There was no doubt in his mind that it was her.

Slowly, the raven-haired boy made his was closer to her, kneeling down when he was by her side. The look on her face troubled him, and despite the crude words that had passed between them recently, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy. He stretched out a gloved hand and pushed aside the amethyst hair that marred her bruised and battered face. Dried blood still hung from her lips and the tears and mud that stained her uniform made her appear more broken than he had ever seen.

"Just like last time…" he breathed, his words recalling how he had found her that night of her birthday when Slade had finished with her. "Raven."

The girl stirred, the sound of her name calling her back to consciousness. When her eyes managed to open, she was simply met with splotches of color taking the shape of blurred images above her, but when her vision returned, it became apparent that her friends were around her.

She lifted herself from the ground, but as she did so, she felt a heavy weight grow on her chest. Without thinking, she thrust her right hand to the silver pendant on her cloak and tightened her fingers around it as if that would somehow relieve the pain, but all it did was draw the attention of the others toward the new trinket. Giving them all a defeated look, she attempted to speak, but was cut off the moment her lips parted.

"You have some explaining to do, Raven."

The dark girl closed her eyes, feeling the sting of Robin's ice-picked words sinking into her skin in sync with the stabbing of his cold glare. She turned her head from his direction, letting her orbs open to the world once more. Sapphire met with emerald and the moment the sorceress saw the look pasted on the changeling's face, she regretting ever looking at him. Within his tired eyes was a sense of sorrow mixed with confusion and longing. He wanted to know just as much as Robin did; while moving her gaze about the room, she saw the same sensations within Cyborg and Starfire. There was no escaping it. They had boxed her into a corner.

"All right," she said just above a whisper. "I'll tell you."

Gliding though the air to the couches, she turned to watch her companions struggle in their walk. It pained her to see them so torn and to know it had all been because of her. Perhaps, if they had known what they were getting into, they might have survived better. Their strain only helped to solidify what she was feeling. Her belief that keeping her destiny a secret and somehow protecting them had now backfired and she was to blame.

Closing her eyes against the shouts of guilt within her mind, she swallowed the pain in her own body and stretched out her hands. Her familiar mantra escaped her tired lips and instantly, she was blanketed in a white glow that flashed around her before shooting out toward each Titan. A sense of warmth filled them as the light encompassed their bodies and almost immediately, they could feel their pain begin to lift and fade away.

As the light passed, each Titan looked ahead, their gaze resting on the dark girl still levitating as the white glow returned to her. Suddenly, her eyes shot open, her expression one of undeniable pain. Before they could utter a word to her, she collapsed, her frail form falling into a tangle mess on the floor.

"Friend Raven!" Starfire called out as they all ran toward the girl.

A pale hand shot forth from the fallen figure, halting the approaching Titans with a silent beg for them to leave her be. Slowly, she lifted herself from the ground, standing to face their questioning eyes. She clutched her right hand to her chest and with labored breath, she attempted to speak.

"If I am such a traitor…Robin…I would…not have taken the burdens of all your pains, but…I can't say I haven't betrayed you in some way." Raven caught herself as she nearly fell forward, pausing briefly before seating herself on the couch and silently beckoning the others to follow.

Once they had all placed themselves around her, an eerie silence filled the room. Raven contemplated how to being her tale while the others sat within the stillness, unsure of what to say. Finally, no longer able to withstand the suffocation of the calm, the demon spoke.

"I'm not exactly sure where to begin," she breathed out slowly. "But, what I do know is that I am not what you think I am."

Robin noticed the girl's gaze lift to meet him with the closing of her sentence. It became painstakingly obvious that she had grown cold toward him after what he had done to her, but he merely shrugged it off. If Raven was unable to convince him the Justice League had been wrong about her, then his treatment of her would be justified. At the moment, the leader had no regrets.

"As you probably already know, I'm not from this world," she empath continued. "I was born in a place called Azarath, a different dimension, one that bases its societies on the ideal of true peace and tranquility. Those who dwell in Azarath are the offspring of people from this world who fled the Earth and its cruelties centuries ago."

"So, yer sayin' your parents are some of those people?" Cyborg questioned when the girl paused.

"No," she retorted flatly. "My mother, Angela Roth, is from Earth. She was born in Gotham City, but to put it vaguely, she wasn't born into the best of families. Eventually she fled her home to try and rebuild her life, but with no one to take her in, she fell into the hands of a dark cult that had been brewing in the alleys of Gotham. She ran into an abandoned church, hoping to use it as a shelter for the night. Unable to contain her hunger and thirst, she drank from the holy water that stood on a black podium in front of the red stained-glass windows."

Raven cringed inwardly at their reactions of recognition. It was obvious to them that she was describing the sanctuary they had recently been to. Noticing none of them were willing to make a remark, she continued.

"Unfortunately for her, the church she found was inhabited by a group of outcasts who were bent on reviving the Eight Devil of Hell. They persuaded her into joining them by offering her a home, a family, and one that would love her for eternity, purposely refraining from mentioning the nature of their cult. She remained with them for some time…and then the ceremony was conducted. They placed my mother on a strange red symbol that seemed carved into the ground before the black podium and summoned the demon. He came in the form of a human and coupled with the one standing within the confines of his mark, but at the last moment, his flesh melted away and in place of the man my mother believed had come to love her was now a scarlet-skinned demon." Raven tilted her head down in shame as she felt the sensations of shock from the others blanket her.

"She ran from the church, but it was all in vain," she whispered sadly. "The monks of Azarath have told me my mother attempted to destroy the child she carried within her several times, but its cries within her head kept her from ever going through with it. Those of Azarath came for her, took her to their dimension, and helped her rebuild her tattered life. Her name was changed to Arella to keep her safe from the demon…and a few months later, I was born."

A moment of silence took hold as each Titan attempted to swallow the dark tale of Raven's existence. Each seemed trapped in disbelief, but the empath could not help but feel deep sense of impatience radiating from the leader across from her.

"Then what you are saying is that you are part demon?" Starfire spoke, breaking the silence.

"Yes, I was born with a human heart drenched in demon blood…but that doesn't make me evil," Raven responded with haste.

"We'll see about that."

The team turned to stare at the masked fighter whose cold words had come as an unexpected response. Seeing no indication of emotion in his face, they turned their attention back to the dark storyteller.

"What do you want me to tell you?" Raven called out.

"Why is Slade after you?" Robin spat, his mask narrowing in suspicion.

The sorceress sighed, but complied with his request. "He is working for my father. When I was barely 10, the demon came looking for me, burning Azarath to the ground in the process. Having been taught to control my power, I was able to suppress him long enough for the monks of Azarath to seal him away. I was banished from my home for the destruction he caused and, having been labeled a curse, I fled to Earth in an attempt to find help. The trap my father was locked in has weakened. Slade is being used to make sure my father is welcomed back to this dimension as its ruler."

"So, Slade's chasing you cuz your going to rule with your dad, or what?" Beast Boy questioned with confusion.

"That's a part of it, but more importantly, I am needed to fulfill the prophecy you heard in the church. 'The Gem was born of Evil's fire. The Gem shall be His portal.' I will be the one to open the door for my father. The symbols you've all seen on me form the words of the spell that will release him. I thought I could stop it from happening by destroying the curse written on me, but not even the cuts of a knife can save me from my fate," Raven answered, her eyes locking onto the changeling's by the end of her explanation.

"We won't let 'em have ya, Rae," Cyborg smiled, reaching out a hand and placing it on the girl's cloaked shoulder.

"You don't understand," the emapth whispered. "The demon you are attempting to stop is no ordinary villain." Looking directly into his eyes, she continued. "What makes me you think you can defeat Trigon the Terrible?"

The robot retracted his hand with such a force that he nearly fell backward, and as he did so, reactions began to breakthrough the other Titans. Starfire gasped at the sound of the name that had fallen from the dark girl's lips, a hand reaching up to cover her mouth as she continued to stare. Beast Boy backed away from the girl seated next to him, the name of her father having cursed him with an inexplicable sense of fear. Robin's eyes grew wide; his arms unfolded themselves as his gaze never left the empath across from him.

"This is why the Justice League would not accept me when I asked them for help," Raven spoke, breaking the suffocating silence. "Zatanna could sense my father's evil running through my veins, and that was enough to convince her that I was merely attempting to trick them, but what she could never see was that my true intention was the opposite. I was simply looking for a group of people I could count on, one that would eventually help me if my father was released."

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Robin nearly shouted as he rose from his seat, his shock now having turned back to anger. "You lied to us right from the beginning!"

"I did so to protect myself and _you_!" the halfling shouted in her defense. "If you had known of my heritage, would you have accepted me? Would you have willingly let a demon into your home? With you being ignorant to who I really was, it helped to conceal me from the watchful gaze of my father."

"I thought you said he was locked away?" the leader spoke sternly.

"His eyes are all seeing and so he continues to look for me even with his body being trapped in a dimension he cannot escape. The only reason he has found me now is due to the fact that Slade was killed by Terra. Trigon is a devil and thus, he searched the minds of the dead for any memories of me within them, and having found them inside of Slade, he's given the mercenary a chance at a second life in exchange for bringing me to him. Do you see now what a curse knowledge of my heritage can be?" Raven choked out as she held back tears that formed in her lost eyes. "The only one who truly believed me was Batman. Perhaps he was right about you."

----

_Night took hold of Gotham City as the stars burned brightly in the darkness overhead. The time was difficult to determine, but considering the lack of people on the streets it was apparent that it was late into the evening. While others slept, a lone figure walked the streets of an unfamiliar world._

_Her amethyst hair cascaded down her lower back, catching in the folds of the blue cloak that adorned her shoulders. Her sapphire eyes scanned the city about her, a sense of loss painfully etched within them. She had left the Justice League's Watchtower and come to the place her mother once called home, but the name of the city was the extent of her knowledge. She was lost._

_Continuing her stroll, she did her best to shake off the strange shivers that racked her spine, but when her efforts gave no effect, it became obvious to her that it was not the cold that was stinging her skin; she was being followed. Closing her eyes as she slowed her walk, she reached with her mind to sense who it was that was behind her._

"_You have no need to hide, Batman," she called flatly. "I know you're there."_

_Turning her head to the left, she watched as the dark knight moved out of the shadows, his form crouched on a concrete ledge attached to the side of a building. He made no effort to move closer to her as they gazed at one another._

"_How did you find me?" the girl hissed through clenched teeth, her eyes burning with frustration._

"_Zatanna tracked you when you ran from the meeting room. I saw on the radar screen that you had come to Gotham," Batman called back, his expression unchanging._

"_Why are you following me?"_

_Bruce Wayne inwardly sighed as he grew tired of the girl's cold nature. He knew he couldn't blame her for being angry, but the fact that she did not even bother to realize his intentions was becoming aggravating._

"_I've come to help," he responded with little enthusiasm._

"_I do not need help from a man who refuses to see the truth," Raven spat out, her blue eyes narrowing into slits of fury as she began to walk away._

_Batman nearly let her go without another word, but something inside of him urged him to call her back, to give her the aide she had been denied so quickly. Listening to the voice within him, he leaped down from the ledge and began to walk toward her, the sound of his footfalls coming in sync with the girl before him._

"_Despite the fact that the evidence points against you," Bruce began sternly. "I am going with my gut and putting my faith in your story."_

_Raven paused at the sound of his voice, but it was not until he finished speaking that she turned to face him. Her face contained no emotion, denying the dark man the opportunity to see what she was thinking._

"_And what is it that I owe for such a gracious gift of trust?" she spoke with words tainted in the black color of sarcasm._

"_Look, Raven, I went out of my way to track you down on the streets. If you don't care for my help, then I might as well just leave you to the thugs waiting for girls like you to walk by their alleys."_

_The girl's eyes grew wide with a sense of hope as she gazed up at the masked man. Her orbs ripped through the ebony covering of his face to find the presence of sincerity. This man was different than the others; he truly wanted to help her._

"_Forgive me," she whispered, lowering her head as the words fell from her lips. "I did not mean to be so cruel, it's just that-"_

"_I understand," the knight interjected. "I know of someone who can help you."_

_The girl's head shot up, her expression taking the shape of confusion. It became apparent to Batman that she had expected him to be the one to stay at her side. He could only hope that she would heed his words and not question his judgment._

"_I can't be the one to go with you," he said, answering her unvoiced question. "I belong to the Justice League; I work as a team, not an individual when it comes to things like this. There _is_ someone how can help you, though."_

"_Who is it?" Raven asked simply._

"_If you go to Jump City, I am sure you'll be able to find him. He goes by Robin and was my former sidekick. You'll recognize him by the mask he wears." Batman paused slightly, contemplating whether he should continue with what he wanted to tell her. Hoping his next words would have no consequence, he resumed his speech. "I suggest you keep the identity of your father a secret."_

"_What?" the young girl called out, her confusion growing with every passing second. "You want me to lie to him?"_

"_His suspicion oftentimes clouds his better judgment, and so telling him that you're the child of a devil might not be the best course of action. He has a problem with being someone else's subordinate, so if you make it seem like you'll be calling the shots if you become partners, he won't stand for it."_

_Raven let a sigh escape her as the man's words began to sink in. "Then how am I to gain his trust?"_

_The dark man moved forward, nearly closing the gap between them. The pair merely gazed at each other for a few moments, before Batman moved his left hand out from under his cape. Within the grasp of his gloved fingers was an ebony weapon shaped to look like a bat. Raven reached forward and took the object being offered to her as she waited for an explanation._

"_Show him this."_

_----_

"He knew you wouldn't trust me if you knew the truth," the emapth concluded.

"And yet he was shocked to hear you hadn't told me about it by now," the leader spat. "Tell us, Raven, how did you manage to form a team of heroes when the only one who wanted to join from the start was Starfire?"

"Man, what are you talkin' about?" Cyborg voiced, his frustration with their leader having risen beyond the point of containment.

"How did you do it, Raven?" Robin continued to harp on the poor girl, ignoring the question he had been asked. "Don't you think it's a bit odd that Cyborg went from refusing to live any longer to suddenly wanting to join our team thanks to a strange dream he had the night after we had met him? And what about Beast Boy? He was so bent on staying with his village in Africa that it just seems a bit strange for him to decide there was more to life than being at home."

The giant and the changeling exchanged frantic looks as Robin's words began to bring them to a frightening realization. When they had decided to join the team, they had given little thought to what had pushed them to change their stubborn mindsets, but now that they thought back to the time they had first met Raven and Robin, it all seemed different.

"You planted the idea in our heads that we were going to be a group of heroes with the sole goal of helping others while this whole time you were just waiting for the right opportunity so you could use us."

"No!" Raven shouted out against him, her frail voice failing to overcome the strength of his hatred as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. "I would never dream of using any of you!"

"Then why did you do it? Why did you have to lie to us?" Robin yelled, walking toward the broken sorceress. "You were just afraid some of us wouldn't join you, so you used those powers of yours to manipulate us, didn't you?"

The empath bowed her head, her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she became overwhelmed by the boy's words. Her body shook as the sound of her sobbing grew louder, muffled only by the noise of breaking glass having been shattered by her unruly emotions.

"Raven?" Beast Boy called, his voice gentle and filled with genuine concern. It was clear that he was still holding on to the chance that Robin had misunderstood her. He reached out a hand, but before he could place it on Raven's shoulder, the girl lifted her head, her eyes staring at no one as she spoke.

"Please, Beast Boy, don't. He's telling you the truth."

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long for me to update! School's kept me really busy lately, so I wrote this chapter in the little free time I had. I really hope you all enjoy it. The next chapter will be mainly about Raven attempting to pick up the pieces of her shattered alliance with the Titans. Chapter 20 is going to be one huge emotional roller coaster.


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